What Do Cranky Kids, A Dead Camera Battery & A Flat Tire Have In Common?

So, yesterday I was talking about having our own agendas and needing to be flexible to what God has for us.

I didn't realize I was also talking about myself.

Bringing the kids on the trip has seriously hampered the contributions we can make to the work here. Today, while Jaci was re-living her glory days as a dental assistant along with Martha, Arlene and Dr. Gottlieb, I was on kid duty.

I felt like a loser because I wasn't really contributing. During my brief stint at Proximos Pasos, I:

A. Changed a poopy diaper.
B. Chased my kids around trying to keep them away from Mommy.
C. Had to clean up the cups with soil and little plants in them that Jackson threw on the floor.
D. Had to deal with repeated temper tantrums by Reagan.

We left before lunch to take the kids home. One of the team members, Sara, said to me today that she was trying not to get frustrated by feeling like she wasn't doing much. (Which she was: Sara and Becca were entertaining the local kids at the dental clinic by having them color and playing with them.) She said that she was trying to understand that she didn't have to be doing something super important every second to be contributing. As she put it, "I don't really have any skills, but I can play with the kids."

Little did I realize that the Lord was speaking to me!

So, I figured I would take out the camera and take pictures of the clinic in action to put on the blog. Surely, my role in all this was to convey the work to the folks back home.

The camera wouldn't work. It's battery was dead.

Jackson pooped himself. We had no wipes for some reason. (Thankfully Margaret gave me some wipes that are primarily used for removing make-up.)

Reagan freaked out. Over and over again. Her stomach hurt. She was tired. She wanted to see mommy. She was cold.

I don't think bringing the kids on the trip was a mistake. They are holding us back. I barely contributed anything today.

I do believe, however, that they are here for a reason. The rich cultural experience and exposure to mission work like this is still worth the price of admission. I also believe that maybe, just maybe, they are here to teach Jaci and I something.

Serving on a missions trip is like anything in life. There are very clear forces at work trying to keep you from succeeding.

It wasn't an accident that the camera wasn't working, or that the kids weren't being good, or that Lauren had some random person let air out of her tire.

It's kind of like all those times I tried to lose weight and mysteriously found myself sitting in a fast food restaurant eating junk. Okay, maybe that was just a failure of will power, but it sure seemed like everything in the world was coming against me in a quest to find the newer, thinner model of myself. Up until this year, the only thing I have been successful in thinning out has been my hair.

Anything worth having is a struggle. It is so because there are greater forces at work beyond us. Serving here in Guatemala is not about me. It is not about what I can do. It is about what Christ can do through me. What Christ can do through Carol. What He can do through Jaci. What He can do through Pauline. Through Marcus. Through Becca. Through Hillary. Through Justin. Insert name of your loved one here. Through Gary. Okay, well maybe that's going too far.

"The stone that the builders rejected has become the capstone..." Psalm 118:22

Jesus didn't appear as everyone expected Him to. Judas was so disillusioned by what he expected to be a great political leader, that he betrayed him to death on the cross. And we know how that ended up for Judas. Hanging with his guts falling out. Nice.

In our lives 2000 years later, our own journey and task before us doesn't always look like what we expected either. So today, I need to rest in the fact that I am right where God wants me right now. I am a father to my three wonderful kids. I am caring for them so that Jaci can serve.

Right now, in Santa Lucia Milpas Altas, the contstruction team is getting ready to finish up their day of work.

Meanwhile the folks at Santa Maria de Jesus are finishing up the dental clinic.

My role is to be a stay-at-home dad so that Jaci can serve.

This team will overcome flat tires, dead batteries, poopy diapers, and temper tantrums. Despite those today, the plan of salvation was laid out to the kids at the dentail clinic while a bunch of poverty-stricken villagers were able to obtain free dental care, and the construction team at Santa Lucia began turning what could have been a disaster for the school there into a blessing for the staff and children of the school through their faithfulness.

When things don't go our way, we can lean on the writings of Paul in Romans:

"Not only so, but we also rejoiced in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produced perserverance and perserverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5

The kids and I will be rejoining our team in about 2 hours for dinner and some worship and fellowship time. Lauren will be sharing her testimony with the team tonight. I'm going with the expectation of being blessed.

Hopefully, the camera will work and I can show you some pics as well!

Hasta Luego!

I will leave you with a new Spanish phrase. Bill Brown asked Lauren to translate this because he and some of the other members of the team wanted to say it to the villagers.

Dios te bendiga. (God Bless You!)

UPDATE: Since this was posted we have gotten our first major downpour of the rainy season. Also, I just finished doing laundry for the Lord.

Pastor Gary Has To Stay After Class & The End of The World Via Toilet Paper

The team from GCCC arrived this morning. When they came out of the airport, I could tell I had some blog fans as they told me that descending the escalator caused them to think about our little "upside down turtles" on our own arrival here. That made me laugh! They had lunch and orientation at EVE (Esquela Vida y Esperanza AKA School of Life and Hope.) This school is the location where the work team will be building on the newly purchased plot of land. The land was possibly going to be sold to put up a brothel right next to the school, but God had other plans! Now the school will be able to expand their facility and not have to worry about a brothel opening up into the courtyard where the kids play. Above are some pictures of the area that is being cleared for construction.

Now, I'm not going to lie. Many people come into a missions trip with their own personal agenda on what to accomplish. One of two things will happen. They will "take their toys and go home" after not getting their way, or they will experience a tremendous breakthrough as God teaches them something in their humility and service to others. Part of the secret to a successful trip (and a successful life) is being flexible to what God has in store for you. Things don't always play out the way that you had planned, but your goals and agenda are much more limited than the endless possibilities that God has for you. As with any mission trip, there will surely be some folks here that need a breakthrough. Please pray for them that they don't miss out on the tremendous blessing God has for them.

So, today during orientation, there was a big to-do over toilet paper. In Guatemala you can't flush anything that doesn't come out of your body in the potties. This was a difficult thing to deal with for the team. Many questions were offered as to what this means for the future of humanity. Lauren simply told them that they need to fold and double fold their toilet paper and place it gently into the trashcan. More than one team member came to fearfully confide in me that they had flushed some toilet paper at the airport. Toilet Paper--the end of the world as we know it. You're not in Sewell anymore folks!

As Lauren was trying to get through her presentation, one Rev. Gary Clark was cutting up in the back of the class room and texting on his phone. You can't teach an old dog new tricks folks. He's just as zany down here!

Marcus, Sara and Becca broke out in an impromptu worship session in the stairwells of the school before leaving as well. It was a nice moment for the team.

Oh, and Lauren and I took everyone's money to "exchange" it for them. Little did they know, that we just had a great time shopping on their dime! (For all the friends and family of the team reading this, please note that was sarcasm. I didn't really steal from your family members and friends in the middle of a mission trip!)

Side note to anyone who uses facebook: If you are friends with Lauren on Facebook, you probably remember reading a status update a few weeks back where she was humorously lamenting being chased by wild dogs and accosted by a drunk man in the street before coming to work. I got to see the drunk man. He probably would have left the GCCC team alone, but for Gary Clark. Gary walked right up to him and said "hola" to him causing the man to stagger along with the team to the school. That Gary, always causing trouble!

The team headed to Proximos Pasos to get settled and Lauren and I headed home to pick up Jaci and the kids for dinner! Jaci had been home all day with the kids as we met the team and got them started. We went into Antigua for a nice Italian dinner for my birthday. Jackson, Reagan and Noah enjoyed throwing pennies in the restaurant's fountain.

Tomorrow we have a dental clinic to run at Proximos Pasos and the work team is going to head back to EVE to begin work. Pray for safety, but also pray for a humility and grace for each member of the team. Pray that we would be vessels here to help the Lord's work at Mission Impact, and not a hindrence due to our own agendas.

Psalm 121 says "I life my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth."

It is not in us that miracles will happen and lives will be changed. It is in that ever-powerful help that comes from the LORD! Continue praying for our little ones as we will be on the go for the next week pretty extensively. Also pray for the team to be of one mind, to be humble and a blessing to Mission Impact, and that God would accomplish exactly WHAT HE WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH during our time here!

Soy Noe (I Am Noah) & "Get In Your House Chickens!"

"For since the creation of the world God's invisble qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.." Romans 1:20

Nowhere is that verse more evident than living in the shadow of the volcanoes. On our journey yesterday, we got to see the red lava at the top of the volcano Fuego (or Fire.) Unfortunately, we were on the road, so we weren't able to get a picture. Hopefully we will before we leave. Don't freak out Mom, the volcano doesn't erupt, it just sort of oozes lava at the top and is over 100 miles away from us. Your grandkids are safe!

Before we got started yesterday, Reagan and Jackson had baths in bottled water in Lauren's back yard. The reason is because the shower water could make them sick if they drink it, and since Jackson puts everything into his mouth that he finds, we didn't want to take too many chances!

Yesterday, we began some work for the team. We met with Jeff Sprecher, the Director of Mission Impact. Jeff and his wife Terry are very nice, humble people, who just seem to be completely surrendered to the will of God in their lives. Jeff had avery quiet confidence about him that a person of great faith tends to have. We reviewed the team's schedule for the week and Lauren and Jeff went over the logistics.

Meanwhile, Noah fell down some stairs, Reagan got "hot and sweaty" and Jackson may or may not have been bitten by the family dog. He claims he was, but then again this is the same boy who has been claiming to have also survived shark bites and, in a surprise to many, dinosaur bites.

It was also revealed that Jeff was under the impression that Pastor Gary was only in his twenties because of the way he talks. I think Jeff's world is going to be rocked by the antics of the wild and wacky Gary Clark when he gets here!

Then we went on to the Perez house and had a very nice meal with the family. I'm very excited that the team will get to meet this family as they are such a fun group of people and a tremendous encouragement. The pictures above are the view from Mirna's house. Talk about a "city on a hill!"

Paul writes in Romans about being "mutually encouraged" by one another's faith. That pretty much sums up the lunch meeting! Learn more about the work they do by visiting Mission Impact's website.

The kids were big fans of the family dog Pepe. Jackson also enjoyed chasing the chickens back into their chicken coop while chastising them "Get in your house chickens!"

On the way, Reagan pronounced her love of the volcanoes and mountains by sighing and saying "I love those mountains."

Noah was able to get his Bakugan back from the neighbors. All is well.

We went to the ever populer Pollo Campero for dinner. While feasting on chicken and fries, the staff sang happy birtday to me and I got a Pollo Campero visor of my very own!

Meanwhile, Noah was able to improve American-Guatemalan relations by speaking spanisht to the kids in the playland of the restaurant.

"Soy Noe." (It means I am Noah.) He said he wanted to make things easier on the kids so that they could understand him.

Reagan meanwhile babbled incoherently and told us it was spanish.

Jackson climbed up the playland equipment that was only for kids 4 and up with relative ease. He then slid down the slide and landed on some unfortunate Guatemalan boy that he proceeded to wrestle with. Poor kid never knew what hit him.

Jaci isn't feeling well, so please pray for her. Jaci and the kids have an easy day today. Lauren and I will be meeting the church team at the airport in a few hours and getting them oriented at the school.

This evening the team will have dinner together, but the Hughes family will be dining alone. We are going out to dinner to a restaurant in Antigua to celebrate my birthday.

98% Flavor 2% Fat, Or More Guatemalan Than You!

So, you might be intrigued by the title. In the photo of me above, I am holding a pack of "Jamones Perry" or "Perry Ham." Jamones Perry is a big brand of ham down here that boasts its ham has 98% flavor and 2% fat. I find that funny. Whenever you boast that your product doesn't even muster 100% flavor, there's got to be a problem. They also have a sausage line that boasts being "More Guatemalan Than You." I'm not sure how that translates into a winning marketing strategy by trading on long-held animosities between different people groups in this country that fueled civil war for some 36 years and that only ended in 1994, but hey, go for it. It is my fervent hope to have a Jamones Perry tee-shirt one day. I hope I find one down here.

So, we didn't do much yesterday. It was a day of spending time with Aunt Lauren, food shopping, and giving little kids who traveled for 14 hours nap times. We were able, however, to take a few pictures of the kids at Aunt Lauren's house.

We also went into Guatemala City to a shopping mall for dinner. Pizza Hut. That's right, we had Pizza Hut in Guatemala on a missions trip!

The kids enjoyed playing in a inside park area with a giant tree with a slide on it and various bears, or osos, lying around it. Jackson, as usual was his crazy self and he was chasing a number of the kids there. He did his usual "fight face" by making angry eyes at them and then charging them while pretending to be a monster.

One of the Guatemalan girls was overheard referring to Jackson's "ojos enojados" or in English, his "angry eyes!"

Not exactly the best way to improve American-Guatemalan relations.

Reagan has been a bit of a challenge. Very sleepy. Very cranky. Pray for Princess that this little turtle will get the rest that she needs to be her usual pleasant self.

Noah threw his most beloved brand new Bakugan toy into the neighbor's yard. No word yet on whether the toy is still alive. We have to stop over and chat with the neighbors when they get home to see if we can go into their yard to get his toy. Some of you may remember, of course, that it was only about a week ago that Noah nearly lost another beloved Bakugan toy while on a family walk at home. After stopping at the park to let the kids play, Noah decided to bury his toy in the sand of the volleyball field. We spent a good 30 minutes looking for it, as he forgot where he buried it. Ah, a boy and his toys!

Today we will be meeting with the Director of Mission Impact, Jeff, to discuss the team's schedule and agenda, and then heading to lunch with Gerber's family (one of our highlights from last year!) His family is a wonderful down-to-earth Christian family serving the Lord among some of the poorest folks down here.

Then we will be going out to dinner perhaps in Antigua later tonight. A post to follow.

Upside Down Turtles

Don't worry, don't worry! Pictures will be coming shortly! I hope to blog later tonight with some pictures from the day. Right now we are still getting used to the altitude and time difference and the kids are napping, so we haven't done much but catch up with Lauren and recover from yesterday's travels! And as I mentioned in the previous albeit brief, update, we have made it to Guatemala rather safely and without incident.

There was of course the sight of upside down turtles in the airport, however.

What do I mean?

Give me a minute to explain. All good things come to those who wait.

First, let me say that wandering around in airports with about a thousand bags, 2 strollers and 3 kids is quite the challenge. Having overcome that challenge, I think I can say with some degree of certainty that we would do better than expected if we were ever selected for The Amazing Race reality show.

As a result of having simply too many bags to drag/carry with us at one time, we had to enlist the little ones for some help. Jackson and Reagan could be seen in the airport sporting their backpacks which had been packed to the gills. At one point, Reagan was also pushing a stroller.

On our second flight of the day (the one from Houston to Guatemala) we were joined by a very noisy and obnoxious missions team from another church. They were clearly southern and their leader's name was clearly "Amber" or "Miss Amber." I know this because every member of her team was constantly jockeying for an audience with Miss Amber. Calls of "Amber" and "Miss Amber" resonated throughout the plane for most of the flight.

And she was not a woman to disappoint her fans by ignoring them. Miss Amber was one of those southern folks with a heavy drawl and no compunctions about talking at all times at the top of her lungs about everything.

At one point, Miss Amber was so excited to have found Amy Grant serenading her on the plane music channels that she loudly instructed her team to "Turn to Channel 4, it's Amy Grant!!!" (This was after she loudly questioned a teen boy about whether or not he was excited to be finally on a trip with her after 5 years of her traveling the globe with his brother. Unfortunately, I didn't hear his answer.)

A volley of shouts about changing to station 6 and 8 began as the members of her team found some music in spanish. When prompted for a translation, Miss Amber came up short but had a hearty laugh about it.

She did, however, regale her one teammate (and by association the entire plane thanks to the volume of her voice) about all of the charms on her bracelet and the various countries of origin they were from. Bolivia. Costa Rica. Brazil. You name it, and Miss Amber has been there. Her twenty minute dissertation on the origins of each charm was quite the crowd-pleaser.

Miss Amber's team was ahead of us in the mad dash through the airport in Guatemala and got down the escalator before us. Unfortunately because we were each juggling several pieces of luggage and/or strollers, we had to send Reagan and Jackson down the escalator together holding hands.

The first escalator ride was a smashing success.

The second, however, not so much. Reagan and Jackson decided to rest their weary bodies by sitting on the steps instead of standing. Now, I don't know if you are aware of this fact, but on the escalator steps actually move and then slowly lower into nothingness as they empty their cargo at the bottom. Despite multiple pleas from Jaci and I to stand up, Reagan and Jackson did not.

As a result, when they finally attempted to stand up, their step was rapidly diminishing below them and threw off their balance. Flopped onto their backs, they were left to flounder around at the bottom of the escalator like upside down turtles frantically kicking their legs as they lie on their shell.

We continued to shout to the kids to get up as we continued rapidly careening towards them in a trainwreck in the making.

Miss Amber's team casually turned around to see the floundering kids at the bottom of the steps and continued on their way without a second thought.

The kids finally got up and avoided being crushed, but they were frightened and freaking out.

It was a funny moment to look back on, but at the time Miss Amber and her team were not my favorite people.

The judgmental part of me (admittedly a huge portion!) desired to send Miss Amber and her frolicking band of fools to eternal damnation. Then, of course, God got the better of me and reminded me that I don't really know Miss Amber. That, perhaps, just perhaps each of those charms on her bracelet represented a life that was changed or even saved by the willingness of Miss Amber to serve.

Of course, then I was reading in Psalms:

"If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O LORD, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness..." Psalm 130:3-4

Yikes. I've probably been like Miss Amber at times, right? (Don't answer that!)

And also:

"I will not enter my house or go to bed--I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob" Psalm 132:3-5

God reminded me that I'm not perfect either. That He desires acts of service not just lip service. Miss Amber and her team may be loud, obnoxious, and unruly but they also just may be the hands and feet that bring a message of Hope to a needy people.

It reminded me that as we re-enter Guatemala, I was so taken last year with the joy of the believers here who do not have nearly the material possessions that we do. Many, in fact, live in houses that are constructed of rusty metal pushed together with dirt floors. Yet they have that unsurpassing joy that is often missing in the believers of America.

Then, of course, still reading in Psalms, I came across:

"The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." Psalm 135:15-18

What a condemnation of our culture and American way of life. I love America. I love the freedom and liberty that it stands for. I don't like the fact that I have become part of those American Christians who limit my need and passion for God because of the stuff that I have and/or want. I don't ever want to trust in my idols of stuff more than I do Jesus. I pray that I never do.

On the contrary, I want to live a life that abandons such things and embraces my faith to the fullest that I may experience that unfathomable joy.

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News?" Romans 10:15

When you are praying for us and our little upside down turtles today, pray also for Miss Amber and her team. May we all have beautiful feet this week in Guatemala.

Safe and Sound In Guatemala

Just wanted to update everyone back home that we are safe and sound at Lauren's house in Guatemala. Overall the kids were really good on the two flights down. We are a littl tired this morning, but very happy to be here. I will post more later today!

Thanks for all of the prayers!

With Faith Like A Child

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know He hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of Him." 1 John 5:14

"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies." Psalm 57:9-10

"...Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe." Psalm 61:2-3

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2

"For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight...All nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed." Psalm 72:12-14, 17

Reagan, seen in the above photo while praying in her Sunday School class, is preparing to carry the message of Hope to the people of Guatemala. This weekend, as she led the GCCC Kid's Avenue services in "Mighty To Save" Jaci was both attacked and blessed. On one hand, her MS reared its ugly head and her vision was seriously impaired again. On the other, she felt a strong welling up of emotion as she worshipped God and thought of the kids (His kids) that we ministered to last year and that we will be returning to in 2 short days.

Jaci also led the children in praying for Noah and our team as we serve God oversees in Guatemala. I told Noah on the way home that his going on this trip would inspire a lot of people, young and old, to see that ANYONE can step out in Faith and do something for the Lord. The BOLDNESS of a young child to step out of his comfort zone and serve in a foreign country will speak volumes to many. It might seem impossible to go to a small village on the side of a volcano in a faraway land. It is overwhelming. It is also a tremendous blessing and an opportunity to see miracles happen.

Noah, Reagan, and Jackson will inspire people they never know about. At the 11 AM service, we joined with the church team in the sanctuary for the church to pray over us. We had all 3 kids with us. Emotion began to overwhelm me as the reality of this truly remarkable journey that God chose us for unfolds. There is nothing more rewarding than serving TOGETHER as a family and to see the remarkable things that God can teach even a young child through this grand adventure.

On our way out, several people who we didn't know stopped us and asked us if the kids were in fact going on the trip. When we answered yes, they told us that they were praying for our kids during the service and that they would continue to do so. They seemed truly moved by our kids.

Once again, as we go to serve the "rock that is higher" than us to "sing" of His great love "among the nations" we know that it is us who will again be blessed indeed.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We look forward to sharing out journey with you as we blog daily about our trip.

Let the packing begin!