Pray & Give: Hughes Guatemala Trip 2011!

The Hughes family will be traveling to Guatemala again this summer to work with the kids in Santa Lucia and Santa Maria!  Look for updates coming soon!

In the coming month, we will begin actively fundraising online for this trip.  Flying 5 people to Guatemala doesn't come cheap and we are going to need a lot of friends and family to help us to take this trip.

Our first trip to Guatemala was in the summer of 2008.  During that trip, Jaci and I were able to bring our then 7 year old son, Noah, to visit his missionary Aunt Lauren and have his eyes opened to the work that she did and have his heart opened to the kids that God's loving through the work of Mission Impact.  The following summer we brought the entire family down for a trip.  On both trips we spent time working with the kids at the schools through lessons, songs, and activities as well as conducting the all-important lice washes at the Proximos Pasos school in Santa Maria.

At this stage in the game, our agenda for the 2011 trip is completely up in the air.  As anyone who has ever travelled internationally with young kids could tell you, our agenada is going to have to remain fluid throughout our trip.

That's where you folks come in.  We need prayer. A LOT OF IT. We need prayer for safety and effectiveness as we seek to serve the Lord and these precious kids.  We also need money.

As we are not going with a church group, but just as a family, we are not going through Mission Impact. That means that anyone who wants to donate to the trip will be donating directly to us.  We certainly understand that that means any tax deductions that you would have been able to claim via a non-profit organization will be wiped away, but we're still believing that God will open the floodgates of support.

Financial support will be so very important for this trip because as a teacher, I don't get paid in the summer and finances are usually tight anyway.  Your generosity will help us to serve the kids of the schools, expose our children to the work of the mission field, and allow us to be a blessing to Lauren and Mission Impact.

Please consider making a financial donation to our trip.  In the weeks to come, we will be putting up additional online avenues that we will be able to link to our Facebook accounts and Twitter.  For now, if you are so moved to donate, you can simply go to the top corner of this blog and click on our donate button to make a secure donation via PayPal.

We understand that our trip will be the fruit of many folks coming together to give and pray and we are humbled by your love, support and prayers.  Please check back often in the next few weeks for updates and information about how the trip is coming together.

God Bless!

Bill, Jaci, Noah, Reagan & Jackson

A New Season For the Family

First, a little scripture that seems to reflect my current stage in life:

At the Home of Martha and Mary: Luke 10:38-42

38. As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.
39. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.
40. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself ? Tell her to help me!"
41. "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,
42. but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

As many of you know, Jaci and I made a decision to leave our church at the end of 2009 after over 8 years of service there. For the last 4 years, we have been involved in serving with and leading the children's ministry at our church for Kindergarten to 5th grade. It was a task that was surely larger than any one person--let alone a part-time employee! There were weeks where we left church absolutely exhausted beyond belief. We often missed church services due to volunteer/staffing issues or situations in the children's services that required our presence.

We got to a point where we put out more than we took in. And that's not to suggest that the Christian life is all about taking from God. It isn't. God calls us to serve and to demonstrate our relationship with Christ, our faith, by our fruit. We're not talking apples and oranges here. We're talking actions and deeds. Our service to God, the way we live our life, the priorities we have and the actions we take each day serve to either validate or nullify our faith. People in the church are always so fond of clinging to the nice-sounding excerpt from scripture in which we are commanded not to "judge others." Oh, we can't judge. That person just murdered someone, but we can't judge him.

That's not exactly what the Bible is referring to. We can't judge people in the sense that we cannot determine whether or not they are worthy of heaven or hell. We can't judge their character or eternal salvation because we don't have all the facts. There is a certain part of each of us that is visible only to God. Only the Lord knows their heart and can say for certainty whether or not they are being condemned to hell or rewarded with eternal life with Christ.

HOWEVER, we are often commanded in scripture to test the fruits of folks. If their fruit stinks, it's a good indication that we need to be careful about how we interact with this person and how much we trust them. A genuine faith in Christ will manifest itself through the actions of that believer. A false faith in Christ can sometimes be hidden from view, but if we look carefully we can see clear signs that their fruit is rotten.

At the same time, in church these days we often have only a handful of folks that do all the work. Many folks think their only responsibility to God is to attend church, live the way they want, and nothing more. They don't serve because they expect someone else to pick up the slack for them.

Our service in church began to get in the way of our walk with the Lord. There were many weeks that I could identify with Martha's pleas to Jesus in Luke 10. "Lord, can't you make these folks help me here? I have too much to do."

Part of that request is born out of a proper frustration. Each person has a part to play and when someone drops the ball it becomes the problem of someone else. As Pastor Andy Stanley put it recently, "your irresponsibility becomes someone else's responsibility." So the Martha's of the church world often do have a very real and valid point of concern in asking for more help.

The Bible even affirms that in Matthew 9:37 where Jesus says that the "harvest is plentiful" but that the "workers are few." There is a genuine need for people to become actively involved in the work that God is doing in their local community and around the world. We need to pray for that need to be met.

There is also the component where you become so involved in what you are doing, so obsessed with giving instead of taking, that you don't even make time for God in your life, other than as a motivation to serve. In other words, your service becomes your number one priority and your God becomes number two.

We aren't so much interested in spending time with Jesus, learning from Him, and seeking to become more like Him and grow in our faith as we are in doing stuff.

In a society that values stuff and busy schedules, that is often easy to mix up. We get so involved in meetings, practices, services, etc that we no longer spend time with the Lord. Serving is part of our worship, but it needs to be a reflection of our personal walk with the Lord. IF we need to sacrifice on our walk with the Lord to keep our current schedule, we need to look for things to cut back.

That seems to be what the Lord is teaching our family right now.

So for the Hughes family as we seek where God will have us go next, this is a season of just resting in Him and learning to be more like Mary and a little less like Martha. We aren't sure yet of where we will end up and what God has for us next. We are in the process of looking for a new place to live as well. We want to make sure that wherever we end up, it is where God wants us to be.

We are still praying about where we will ultimately end up. Jaci and I both feel like God is preparing us for a very large new adventure where we will continue to grow into what He wants us to be.

UPDATED: Thanks to our pal Steph Chambers, I wanted to clarify my position! I believe God comes first, then spouse and kids and then your ministry. I believe our role as husband/wife and parent is the primary ministry entrusted to us by God. When I was talking about God first and service second, I just was pointing out that our service to God shouldn't outrank God Himself, i didn't mean to omit family! Thanks Steph for helping me clarify!

Dec 4, 1999: The Start of our Family Adventure!

Where were you ten years ago? I was busy marrying the love of my life , my partner in this exciting journey, Jacalyn. In many ways, it's hard to believe that this was 10 years ago. In other ways, it's astounding the things we've done, seen and experienced in those 10 years.

I remember that morning being all kinds of busy. People were running to and fro getting ready for the big event. On Jaci's end, there was some problem with the crazed florist and the late delivery of the flowers. It was December in Lancaster, PA and yet it was a beautiful sunny and warm day.

I remember how special the day was to be in one of our favorite getaway places, a place that had such sentimental value to both of our families growing up. Jaci and her family had spent years coming to Willow Valley and enjoying the beautiful simplicity of the land of the Amish. Meanwhile, my own family would spent years coming to Lancaster at Christmas time to ride the trains and take in God's splendor of the fields and hillside of Lancaster. On December 4, 1999, both of our families converged on Willow Valley for a beautiful and deeply meaningful day.

I remember waiting in the "groom's room" in the front of the Chapel. I remember Pastor Jack Hamilton (my pastor as I was a child, a man who oozed the joy of the Lord and who truly demonstrated to me what power, freedom and joy can be found in Christ) was his usual jovial self. He kept repeating that if I changed my mind, he had a car out in the parking lot running. It was such a blessing to have Pastor Jack be part of my ceremony for all that he meant to my family personally. He passed away to be with the Lord one year later, so it was truly a blessing that he could join us for this special day. On our wedding video, Jack, ever the jokester, can be seen telling us that there "was a problem with our wedding certificate" and that he's sure it could all be fixed later. He must be making a lot of heaven's citizens laugh right now.

When our service began, it was truly special to have the 4Him song "Love Finds You" played as the grandparents entered the chapel. Of course, it would have been nice if they played the whole song to get the full effect, but oh well. The song was our way of incorporating all of our grandparents in the ceremony. Only my Nanny & Pop-Pop on the Hughes side and Grandpa Pupchik could join us for the special day. My mom's parents had passed away, as had Grandpa Taylor and Grandma Pupchik. Grandma Taylor was suffering from Alzheimer's and thus was unable to join us that day. Grandma Pupchik was still around when we got engaged, and we were able to visit her and tell her about our engagement. Ironically, when we shared the news, it was Grandpa Pupchik that scoffed at the idea that he'd be able to endure the trip to Lancaster for the big day. Grandma Pupchik wanted very much to be there, and as she slowly lost her battle to cancer, she was able to attend a friend's wedding that Jaci was in so that she "could see Jaci going down the aisle." Jaci was by Grandma Pupchik's side as she left this world for a better one. Grandma Taylor was such a great woman of God (and from what I hear she would have loved chatting with me about politics.) She had such a special bond with Jaci and would be so proud of the woman Jaci is today. She often told Jaci that as long as Jaci was in this world, Grandma Taylor would still be here because they were so much alike. Her influence on her granddaughter's life has paid dividends for our own children and beyond.

Our grandparents were such a part of our life, that the song celebrated their lives and love for us and reiterated that we remembered them. Grandpa Pupchik was able to pray at the reception later, and it demonstrated his sweet emotional side. Grandpa Pupchik has since gone on to be with the Lord (and his wife) as well. My grandparents were able to see their first grandchild's wedding. It is such a blessing to be able to see those two on the wedding video as Pop-Pop Hughes passed away in April 2001, just months after the birth of his first great-grandson. As with Grandma Pupchik and Jaci, I was able to be at his side as his peacefully slipped from this world and into the arms of God.

Having young Ki-Lee ring the bell and start the ceremony was precious. Having our parents there together, beaming over their children was such a blessing. We've been blessed with some very generous and very devoted parents and their influence in our upbringing has dramatically shaped who we are as parents and as a husband and wife team! My parents have viewed Jaci as their own daughter, finally able to have a girl in the family, and have demonstrated true sacrificial giving in helping our young family make ends meet. Jaci's Mom treated us to our first Disney World experience and has really been a support and dear friend for Jaci. Jaci's Dad graciously allowed us to move in to his much larger house 3 years ago and blessed us with a nice place to live.

During the ceremony, Jaci looked radiant. The sun began shining through the stained glass window before us and illuminated the wedding party in what seemed like the glory of the Lord. During some of the music, Jaci and I stood there holding hands, talking of the future, and enjoying the moment. Pastor Jerry Ruff and Pastor Jack officiated the wedding and before we knew it, the ceremony was over. When the time came for the kiss, Jaci was nervous that they might forget so she kept reminding him to say it. Jerry laughed and told me to kiss my bride. It was a moment worthy of a hollywood movie. As I dipped my lady dramatically to launch into the kiss, the wedding party held mistletoe above our heads and the chapel erupted in applause and laughter. Afterwards, we danced and bounced our way out of the chapel to the up-beat "Jingle Bell Rock."

After posing for some pictures outside in the glorious spring-like temperatures, we entered our reception. It was a whirlwind of activity as we entered and did our much-rehearsed dance to Celine Dion's "Prayer." We also had the wedding party join us for a Christmas waltz, where our video reveals quite the scowl from Jaci's sister Lauren. This many years later, we still don't know why she gave her newly married sister the glare of death. Later in the ceremony, Jaci danced to "Butterfly Kisses" with her Dad and I danced with my Mom to "Because You Loved Me."

The reception was over before we knew it. Santa even made an appearance at the reception to pose with pictures with the new happy couple. After everything was over, we snuck out to a smorgasbord dinner later in the evening (because in our haste to get around to as many people as possible at the reception, we had hardly eaten any dinner!)

It was a tremendous experience and soon we were off on our honeymoon cruise! We had such fun on our (so far) one and only cruise experience. We swam with Sting Rays in Grand Cayman, visited the Mayan ruins in Cozumel, Mexico, and toured the French Quarter of New Orleans.

In the decade since this special time, so much has happened. Less than one year after the big day, we became parents for the first time as our boy Noah was born on November 28, 2000. We had our daughter Reagan on June 20, 2005, and our "baby son" Jackson on November 29, 2006. We've moved 3 different times, and have another move on the horizon in 2010. We have visited Guatemala twice together, snuck away to Niagara Falls, returned to Willow Valley many times, visited Atlanta twice, enjoyed summer trips to the Jersey shore, and even this year finally made it to Disney World!

As for Jaci, ten years later, she is still the fun-loving whimsical girl that I married, but she has grown tremendously. Her wisdom and common sense have grounded me in times of uncertainty, and her steadfast support for me and the kids has really been the blessing and treasure of a lifetime. Jaci and I are so alike that we are content to just spend our evenings in together. We make each other laugh and share a love of adventure (and television!) The young untested innocent girl of 1999 has blossomed into a mature, wonder-woman of a wife and mother in the ten years since our big day. Jaci's flexibility and self-sacrifice have made her a model mother for our 3 kids and a spark of excitement to everyone who knows her.

When God put us together, He really created a solid team. We complement each other and share the same passions and outlook in life. We both are a little "fly by the seat of your pants" and "don't miss a single moment" kind of people. Some of our favorite memories have been what would be to other folks seemingly insignificant everyday chores, that we turn into something whimsical and fun. We often say that we are in the "non-elegant" stage of life, in that we aren't fancy, and don't pretend to be. Our house is "lived in" and we love life's simple pleasures.

Our life so far has been defined by laughter and fun. Something as simple as a trip to the store turns into a fun adventure when we are together. 2010 promises to be a big year for our family with another move on the horizon and new adventures for our family to embark on. The first ten years of this journey have been amazing, and it will only get better from here.

Needle In A Haystack...On A Volcano In Guatemala (Guest Post By Lauren Pupchik)

I want to share the story of a 15 year old boy from the village of Santa Maria de Jesus, a town of 25,000 indigenous Mayan Indians. He came in to the dental clinic on Saturday held at our girls school, Proximos Pasos with an impacted wisdom tooth. Dr Todd, a dentist from NJ who was a part of the team from my sister's home church, worked on his tooth and gave him antibiotics for his severe infection, but he didn’t have everything he needed such as a scalpel to finish. We returned on Wednesday to do the lice wash with the girls at the school. Dr Todd and Pastor Gary ended up joining us even though it wasn’t on the schedule. Dr. Todd wanted to look for the boy who God had put on his heart and finish his dental work now that he had the all important scalpel. The only problem was that we had no idea where he lived, or what his name was. Did I mention that each little house in Santa Maria basically looks the same with a mixture of corrugated metal and corn stalks for walls. We decided to pray for this boy and ask God to lead us to him where he may be. Now I know Bill has made mention of my direct line to God here in Guatemala, and I’ll tell you that the reason I believe things happen when I pray is because I know that my only option is trusting my heavenly father to take care of me and lead me each day. We came together in faith asking God for a miracle. 10 minutes after we prayed, out of “no where” one of the girls at school tugged on my shirt and told me that her brother didn’t go and work in the fields planting corn today because he had a hole in his mouth. I felt God prompting me to pursue this and asked if the girl could take me to her house. I called for Dr. Todd and Pastor Gary to join me. I asked them if they were ready to see a miracle. The little girl led us on a winding adventure down narrow village roads with more twists and turns than I imagined possible. She led us to her front door and prayed in my head once more that this would be the boy’s house. A weary Mayan woman came to the door and eyed us with caution. I told her we were from Proximos Pasos school and that we were looking for a boy….”It’s HIM…It’s really HIM!!!!” Dr Todd yelled as soon as he saw a young man’s head peer out from behind his mother. His mouth was extremely swollen and he looked miserable but a twinkle in his eye said he was glad to see us. His mother invited us into the one room house with the smoke of an open fire swirling throughout the room and only one bed for her and her 11 children. The mother began to cry as she told us that she and her sister had been praying all weekend that God would send the Dentist back to their village to help her son and that God would take care of them. After hearing of her faith, Todd, Gary and I were all wiping away tears as we witnessed this miracle in the making. God heard the cry of a faithful woman and orchestrated an answer by moving each one of us to action. We all joined hands and prayed for the family while thanking God for leading us right to their humble front door. We took the boy, who we found out was named Rolando and his little brother back to the school with us. Dr Todd preformed a surgery right on the third floor patio of the school relieving a lot of pain and eliminating the buildup of infection that was present. Without an X-Ray to make sure that the entire tooth had been removed, Dr Todd had to use his judgment and do the best he could with such limited resources. God had yet another miracle in store for us. He led us to a local dental technicians’ office where they let us use additional anesthesia and suction to make sure the surgery was complete. Dr. Todd offered to pay the man for the use of his office but he would not accept money since we had come to help the people of his village. Our buddy Rolando will be sore for the next few days, but he will good as new after a week’s rest. I saw firsthand the way God cares for his children on that day. In a village of 25,000 people, God led a dentist to the exact house of a family praying for dental care. What a mighty God we serve!

To follow Lauren's missionary adventures, stop by her own personal blog at:

www.laurenpupchik.blogspot.com

Last Day Photos

Now as many of you know, I missed the events of the team's last full day in Guatemala thanks to some freakish stomach virus of sorts that both Jackson and I had.

The team did one final day of dental work, one last day of worship with the kids, and one final day pouring the foundation for the new addition to the school. The photos above capture some of the images of the day.

The team got to pray over and dedicate the new addition to the school with the staff and students.

Afterwards, the team had a closing banquet in Antigua. (I have more pictures to post of Antigua later.) The evening was very inspirational with people sharing testimonies from their week and reflecting on the work that the Lord has done here.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support for the team from GCCC!

As a side note, Jackson and I are doing fine now. We come home tomorrow. Please pray for safety and non-cranky kids!

Also, there will be a few final blogs and pictures posted. One of which is the promised guest blog from Lauren about the miraculous story involving Dr. Gottlieb and Pastor Gary on a journey to find a sick boy.

You don't want to miss that one!