Hughes Family 2011

Pray & Give: Hughes Guatemala Trip 2011!

2011-03-13T15:47:00.001-04:00

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

2010-01-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-12-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

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)

2009-08-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-31T23:20:00.001-04:00

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!

Faith, Lice Washes & Growth: Attempt # 2 (Updated with Pictures!)

2009-07-30T13:41:00.000-04:00

Also, you should know that I wrote this whole long and insightful blog just now and it somehow didn't save so now I have to start again.

First, an update for all you Brett fans. He now has 2 nicknames. In addition to the monicker of "hairball" he has also been labeled "Ketchup" for his need to carry a bottle of ketchup around with him while travelling.

At Proximos Pasos yesterday a new stud arrived in town. His name is Jackson. Though only 2, he captured the hearts of the school girls. Sure during his many "fight sessions" with Marcus, Noah and any innocent bystander, he was again labeled in spanish as "angry." Sure he cried a lot as the time for his nap came and went. The girls of the school, however, were impressed with his strength. He cries alot, they would say in their spanish, but he is also strong. He can protect us. He is our boyfriend.

Aw, Jackson, already an international superstar.

Noah, meanwhile enhanced his international star power by sharing his bakugan toys with the kids of the village and dazzling them with his soccer skills in an impromptu game. No doubt they thought David Beckhem had arrived!

Reagan struggled through her appearance. By the end, she was able to open up to the girls and play with them. She also was able to learn a new worship song thanks to Gina.

It was indeed a day of growth.

The construction team toiled over at the other school. We were told that the girls at the school there were hitting on Justin. Also, that they continued to get a lot of work done on the project via wheelbarrows full of concrete and a series of intricate wooden planks with ditches below them. Sounds like a Survivor challenge to me!

The painting ladies were without paint for most of the day, so they made lunch for the others, and assisted Wally in his class. Apparently, Wally was using a power point presentation for his class. It struck me as funny that he can do that here, but in Washington Township, I still have to use an overhead projector for my class.

Our main task at Proximos Pasos was the lice wash. We performed the lice wash for all 105 girls at the school. It took pretty much the whole school day for them.

Lice is a big problem in their village because most houses only have running water about 1-2 hours a day, so they only bathe about once a month.

Now, contrary to what you might think, a lice wash is not all just fun and games. Sure, most people crave the feeling of little scalp-dwelling insects crawling around on them. Sure, most people enjoy running a comb through hair infested with lice.

It isn't my thing though. My thing is a nice nutritious meal and a good book. (Who am I kidding? It's a burger, fries and my television set!)

The girls would not hesitate to lower their heads for us to shampoo with the lice wash and then stood there solid as a rock as we combed through their hair (sometimes being quite hard on them!) The absolute trust they had in us was stunning.

The English teacher in me of course is always on the prowl for symbolism. Their unwavering trust in us seemed a fitting representation for how we should feel towards God.

Anyway, the little Santa Maria beauties had to let their lice wash "sizzle" in their hair for 30 minutes or so, and then it was off to rinse and get a regular shampooing.

Being part of this experience definitely stretched us beyond our comfort zones and humbled us. It was a great chance to be the "hands and feet of Christ."

Meanwhile, we also learned about faith. Last summer while down here, I was struck at the seeming "direct line to God" that Lauren has. Time after time things would come up, Lauren would pray about it and literally minutes later it was done.

Yesterday continued that trend. Lauren was taking pictures of herself and some of the girls from the school for a prayer card. It was a good day to do it because you could see the top of the volano (a lot of times the tops are covered in clouds). Because of the placement of the sun, however, Lauren couldn't get a good picture that included the volcano because the sun was directly in her eyes. She prayed that God would send a cloud to cover the sun. Fast forward about a minute and the sun was safely tucked behind the clouds.

I told Pastor Gary about it and suggested we get together and pray. He and Dr. Gottlieb were looking for a kid who they had worked on in the dental clinic. He had a bad infection and they were hoping to follow-up with him, but didn't know who he was or where he lived.

We prayed. God answered. (More on that story when Lauren guest blogs later on!)

It struck me that maybe Lauren doesn't have a direct line to God. Maybe she just doesn't answer the call waiting while talking to Him.

Consider Abraham. He was considered righteous because of his faith, and is called the "father of faith." Yet, even this great pillar of faith demonstrated the very human desire to take things into our own hands and attempt to solve them. He and Sarah knew God was going to bless them with a son. They chose not to wait for his promise. They acted. Enter the Isaac and Ishmael grudge match.

I'm not suggesting that Abraham lacked faith. I am also not suggesting that if we don't have a prayer answered it is because of our lack of faith. I am simply saying that maybe God does answer a lot more prayer than we realize because we are too quick to take matters in our own hands, or two pre-occupied to notice his reply.

Maybe missionary folks aren't some supernatural cell phone carrier to God. Maybe they just rely on Him more and themselves less. Maybe the nature of their lifestyle causes them to have to trust more profoundly.

Being down here in the shadow of the volcanos reminds me more clearly that God answers prayer. Today was just another example.

Along those lines, please pray for me and Jackson as we are not feeling well!

Sights of the Day: The Dental Team

2009-07-28T22:00:00.001-04:00

The dental team served at Proximos Pasos Saturday and Monday, and began their work today at Vida y Esperanza. They are seeing students, staff, and some kids from the villages.

Dr. Gottlieb, Martha, Margaret, Becca, Pastor Gary and Arlene have been working hard all week. Jaci joined them on Sat and today when she isn't working with the worship team.

Getting to see my wife light up like she did the first night about working in the dental field again was spectacular. She is so happy to have the chance to serve in this capacity, and it is awesome to see how fulfilled she feels in taking on this task. The dental team will continue to work at this school for the rest of the week.

The worship team will be going to Proximos Pasos tomorrow for some worship, maybe a little teaching, and a lice wash for all 105 girls of the school!

Sights Of The Day: The Construction Team

2009-07-28T21:43:00.000-04:00

I cannot say enough how hard this construction team is working. The above images are from today's work at the school.

Worship Team Gets Started!

2009-07-28T14:49:00.000-04:00

A great bunch of people came together on Monday to minister to the 5th and 6th grade students of Vida y Esperanza. Volunteers from our own children's ministry (Jaci, Marcus, and Bill Brown) joined newcomers (Sara & Gina) and special guest Lauren as they led the kids in singing "Mighty To Save" and "Jesus Is My Superhero" in spanish.

The kids were very responsive to the songs and it was a blessing to see this group shine as they led them in worship. Afterwards, Lauren and I got up and told the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal from 1 Kings. We took turns reading it, but I actually did read and speak in spanish. I made sure to apologize to the students for my "mal" spanish skills.

We got to impress on them the key points we make at our church with the kids. I need to make the wise choice. I can trust God no matter what. I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

It was really an honor to be able to share God's love with the kids. The team today is ministering to the 3rd and 4th grade classes. The team spent yesterday afternoon cutting out supplies for the follow-up activity that they were going to do with the kids. Sadly, due to a stomach issue, I am not part of the team today, but I hope to re-join them tomorrow at Proximos Pasos.

I cannot stress enough the way these kids have captured the hearts of our team. It truly is representative of how Christ feels towards us.

In the eyes of eternity, we amount to little in and of ourselves. Christ's heart is captured by each and every one of us.

As we seek to serve people that have virtually nothing, we are reminded of how needy each of us truly is.

In the shadow of vast volcanoes, you kind of get the idea of how small you really are. Which, for those of us who need to lose a few pounds, is really re-assuring!

The Hughes Kids Continue Their Adventure

2009-07-28T14:33:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos of the kids at Vida y Esperanza School. Jackson was very comfortable in the kindergarten class room. He got that chair himself, and then found an empty spot at the table and joined the class. The kids at the school remembered Noah from last year, and were excited to meet his two little siblings!

The kids have really blessed Lauren by being here. They may not be able to contribute a lot, but they sure can brighten the spirits of their missionary aunt!

Getting Their Hands Dirty

2009-07-28T13:22:00.000-04:00

First of all, take a moment to enjoy the picture of Brett eating a whole lot of ice cream. The rumor around the team's house is that Brett has been given the nickname "hairball" by one of the kids here. No word yet on why that is! Brett shared with us last night that he joined the team late and got his passport in one day! Talk about a miracle!

The group of folks doing the construction work have been demonstrating a very strong work ethic and have worked all day long to accomplish their tasks. The pictures above are hopefully just the beginning of the pictures we can share on here.

Don was quite an inspiration yesterday as he was sick as a dog and still managed to squeeze out a half day of work anyway.

Pauline, Carol, Gale, Judy and the ladies of the painting team demonstrate the perfect attitude of servanthood and a humble willingness to do "whatever is needed."

The ladies in the office have been painting up a storm! They have already finished the office and are off painting class rooms. It is quite possible that this band of merry painters for the Lord will paint the entire building before we are done.

Outside, Hillary shows herself to be just as tough as the guys as she performs on their level all day long without complaint. Bill Brown is also an inspiration. Primarily a member of the ministry team, he has such a heart for the kids here and a willingness to serve. He can be found jumping in outside whenever he has some down time and being the first to jump in for the ministry team when we need something prepared for tomorrow's services.

It can sometimes be hard to manage a mission team of 3 different teams. The construction team, the ministry team and the dental team have very different tasks and very different roles to fill here. Each is equally important to sustaining the work of Mission Impact. It is hard for some members of the team to appreciate the work that the other teams are doing, and of course, the enemy seeks to use that to divide us.

You should know also, that many of the members of the team have talked about how they like the new accomodations (which are a much nicer facility) but they miss the Proximos Pasos location in the heart of Santa Maria. The daily interaction with the people and children of the village was a source of inspiration to them. A team will be returning to minister at that school on Wednesday.

On the family front, I am home sick today. Reagan and Jackson just enjoyed another bath in the backyard using bottled water, and we are getting ready for lunch and then the afternoon nap. They have been holding up relatively well under the circumstances, but your continued prayer for them is greatly appreciated!

I will be posting another blog later today with photos from the worship team and our ministry with the kids. Hopefully when Lauren and Jaci return this evening they will have some photos of the hard-working dental team for us to post as well.

One final update, despite being the rainy season, it still has hardly rained at all. Today is another beautiful sunny day.

The Day of Rest?

2009-07-27T01:10:00.000-04:00

Side note about last night: When Lauren and I arrived at Proximos Pasos at night, there were some kids at play in the street. As the door was locked, we had to wait for awhile until someone inside realized we were there and opened the door for us. In the meantime, the kids were playing with us, hugging us, and just sucking up any love that we could offer them. It made me smile thinking about how much they touched my heart, and how much more they touch the heart of Christ.

Nothing in the eyes of the world. Priceless in the eyes of God.

Anyway, I am happy (I think) to report that my belly is still big enough to be used as a drum. After losing 40 pounds, many feared that my belly would not be the great ice-breaker that it was last year. See my post "Belly for the Lord" for more that!

One of the little girls was having fun pushing my stomach from both sides and then she and another boy began playing the drums. Oh, just like old times!

Back to today. So, today was the day of rest. Kind of. That's why it's 11:17PM our time and I am typing this blog.

The morning started out with church. After the group finished church, we went to a local steakhouse in Antigua (see above pictures!) At the steakhouse, the gang chowed down on some good sandwiches and then dispersed to take in the town of Antigua!

Lauren led the parade of "gringos" to the market place where people bartered for things to bring home to families, tee-shirts, bags, and in the case of Justin, a machete. Good luck getting that one through customs my friend!

Also, whilst walking along the way in Antigua, Sal Clemente was propositioned by prostitutes not once, but twice. If you know Sal Clemente, you know that I really don't need to say anything more about this. If you don't, trust me, it was funny.

In the meantime, we got soaked from the previously mentioned rain storm.

After the free time in Antigua ended, it was back to Proximos Pasos for dinner and packing. The group relocated to the Mission Impact team house in San Pedro at around 9 PM tonight. Tomorrow, the construction team will return to Esquela Vida y Esperanza and the Dental team (minus Jaci) will return to Proximos Pasos.

Despite the lack of electricity last night, and the somewhat basic living conditions, the team was sad to leave the school because it meant leaving the people of Santa Maria de Jesus (especially the kids!) Marcus was especially sad to leave the kids. (Just like at Kids Ave, the children flock to him!) They were also sad that they could no longer claim to be sleeping on a volcano.

Tomorrow, the construction team will return to Esquela Vida y Esperanza and the Dental team (minus Jaci) will return to Proximos Pasos. Meanwhile, Jaci, Lauren and I will be leading a team that will be working with the kids at Esquela Vida y Esperanza. We will be leading them in 3 worship songs that we do at our church, sharing a Bible story, and just all-around loving on the kids. Hopefully, I will have some pictures to post tomorrow of the team at work. As I will not be at Proximos Pasos, you fans of the dental team will just have to wait until Tuesday for some pictures!

God continues to amaze me in this beautiful land between the volcanoes. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

It's Rainy Season!

2009-07-27T00:58:00.000-04:00

So we got caught in a massive rain storm while walking the markets in Antigua today. Ironically, the rest of the team somehow avoided getting soaked, but we didn't! In the photos above, Jackson and Reagan model the latest rain-wear fashions.

Lauren says that if it rains for more than 20 minutes, you can expect it to rain for over 2 hours. Thankfully, this storm lasted just under 20 minutes and the rest of the afternoon was cloudy but dry.

The View From Proximos Pasos

2009-07-27T00:45:00.001-04:00

The photos above are the view from the 3rd floor of Proximos Pasos. This is the school in the village of Santa Maria de Jesus that is located on the volcano of Agua. At night the folks staying at the school were able to also see the distant peak of the ACTIVE volcano Picaya (complete with a visible lava flow at the top of the volcano!)

The road up to Santa Maria is long, steep and winding. Also, yesterday during our pretty intense afternoon rain storm, several trees fell into the only road leading up the volcano making the road impassable.

Thankfully some locals had chain-saws in their trucks and many of the guys from our team (Justin, Brett, Rick, Bob, Don and others) got off the bus and helped chop up and remove the trees from the road so that people go get to Santa Maria (and Proximos Pasos!)

Last night's dinner at Proximos Pasos was dark and chilly! The team had no electricity due to the storm, and candles were used for lighting. Lauren shared her testimony and the team was encouraged by Pastor Gary as well. It was a cold night, but the team was in good spirits!

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

2009-07-25T17:53:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-24T22:57:00.000-04:00

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!"

2009-07-24T10:24:00.000-04:00

"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!

2009-07-23T10:49:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-22T13:25:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-22T09:43:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-19T14:58:00.000-04:00

"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!

Songs Selected Now Learning The Spanish Version Begins!

2009-07-13T20:32:00.001-04:00

We have 4 worship songs that we will be doing during our trip to Guatemala. Mighty To Save, You Are Good, Superhero, & Tell The World. They are all songs that we do here at church with the children's ministry.

Now, the process of learning the spanish lyrics or the letra en espanol, as some would say, begins! Pray that God would touch the hearts of the kids down there and that we would truly experience a moving worship time with the kids!

2 Weeks Till Guatemala!

2009-07-07T11:59:00.000-04:00

Passports? Check. (Jackson's passport is actually quite funny to look at, he looks kinda angry in his picture!)

We are now 2 weeks out from our family mission trip to Guatemala. So many people have generously given of their prayers and their treasure to help send us on this trip. It is a blessing to see God working in the hearts of people.

We still have a long way to go financially before we hit our total needed. It being 2 weeks from now that we leave, we are of course nervous, but we know that with God all things are possible and have seen some pretty big surprises in the last few weeks in the ways that God has provided supernaturally for our needs!

For one, our van that has been out of commission for some time, has been fixed. It only cost us 140 dollars instead of the proposed 2500 that we were expecting. So, there's a miracle right there!

We have been praying about our trip and what God would have us do there. There is now the very real possibility that in addition to working with the kids at the school, that Jaci will be able to dust off her dental assisting skills and participate in a dental clinic for the kids. Please pray that the details on that project get worked out and the proper personnel and equipment can be obtained to make that happen!

Also pray for our kids. They were great when they had to go on a plane earlier this year, but we are just praying for a repeat of that. On the way down, we will be flying to Texas and then after a short layover continuing on to Guatemala.

The flight home, however, is supposed to be a direct one from Guatemala to Jersey. That will be long. Pray that the kiddies are up for that!

So with 2 weeks to go before we head off on our next Guatemalan adventure, please pray that God would fill in the gaps where the finances are concerned!

I close with an image that speaks a thousand words. Noah, taking the hand of his younger brother and preparing to lead him on this family missions adventure!

Jackson Gets Bitten By A Shark, I Confront My Fears of Mr. Peanut and the Money for the Trip Begins To Come In

2009-07-01T10:58:00.001-04:00

Our family just got home from a vacation at the Jersey shore. Trips to the beach are always unpredictable. Often, I would like to just sit on the beach and relax, reading some book and just "soaking up the sun" to quote the wise sage Sheryl Crow. Unfortunately for me, when you have 3 kids 8 and under, you don't have a lot of time to sit.

So on one particular day at the beach, Jackson was his usual rough and tumble self, wildly exploring the beach and the sea. Afraid of nothing, Jackson had already killed a poor little frog at our campsite. Like Lennie in Of Mice and Men, Jackson doesn't know his own strength. He picked up the little bugger and squeezed the life out of him.

Later, on the beach, Jackson was joining the family on a beach walk. The previous day's walk by Noah and I had yielded many discoveries. We saw some crabs which we gave nicknames to (Pincher Face, Weird Eye, and Digger) and we had a great father-son bonding time. On this walk, as we were irresponsibly climbing all over the rocks, Jackson fell while parading around on the rocks.

His foot was somewhat swollen after that incident and it looked as if he perhaps was stung by a jellyfish. We asked Jackson what happened to his foot and were surprised to here the whopper of a tale that Jackson laid out for us.

You see, his "boo-boo" on his foot was the result of a shark bite. Jackson proudly proclaimed that "a shark eat my boo-boo, he bite it." To this day, that is the story Jackson is standing behind. Jackson is indeed a brave one, what with facing a man-eating shark at the age of 2 and surviving to tell about it!

Jackson's tall tale reminds us that everything in life is an adventure! What an imagination our little epic hero has!

In other news, money has started to come in for our Guatemala trip, but we still have a long way to go! Apparently, taking a family of five on a mission trip can be very expensive! Please continue to pray that the necessary funds would come in for us to take this trip.

P.S. Many of you know of my immense fear of Mr. Peanut. The above picture represents this nearly 33 year old man facing his fears once and for all. As you can see from my placement, I am still a little hesitant to get too close to the monocle-wearing menace. It is a big step for me to even get that close, however.

SUPPORT US FOR GUATEMALA MISSIONS TRIP!

2009-06-15T18:35:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

I still remember what it looked like to see the volcanoes for the first time. Last year during our trip to Guatemala, I was spellbound by them. I also vividly remember teaching the kids the worship song “Mighty To Save” which contains the lines “Savior, He can move the mountains / My God is mighty to save” while looking out the window at the volcano. The sweet spirit of the Lord in those moments working with the children of the two schools—Proximos Pasos & The School of Life and Hope—was amazing. We went to serve and to bless and returned blessed indeed.

It was the blessing of a lifetime for us. And one of the greatest parts was getting to share that experience with Noah. His eyes lit up as he took in every moment of his Guatemalan missions’ adventure.

We were able to make that journey largely through the generosity of family and friends. The experience was phenomenal and it birthed in our hearts a passion to serve the Lord in Guatemala once again this summer. Once again, however, we are going to depend on the generosity of others to help us make that journey.

This year, we are joining our church, Gloucester County Community Church, on a return trip to work with Mission Impact in Guatemala. Our church team will be conducting a VBS style program for the children at the school as well as once again providing lice washes for the girls. There will also be a work team coming to do construction on the property.

This year will also present a new adventure for us—we are taking all 3 kids with us! Some of you might be worried about us bringing the little kids with us, but they are already veterans of air travel and are both looking forward to visiting Aunt Lauren in Guatemala. The schedule of the trip allows for the kids to have afternoon naps at Aunt Lauren’s house, and by working in the schools, we will be in a nice safe environment for them.

So, we are asking you to prayerfully consider supporting our family trip to Guatemala. We will be going at the end of July through early August. The church team will be in Guatemala from July 25 to August 1, and the family is planning on going down a few days earlier to enjoy some alone time with Aunt Lauren and help her prepare for our team. Taking a family of 5 on a missions’ trip, however, doesn’t come cheap and we are relying on God to supply the need!

Please pray about what the Lord would have you give. You may make donations directly to us if you like, or you can make your checks directly to our church (which will allow you to have a tax deduction at the end of the year!) If you write the check to the church, please put “Hughes Family Guatemala Missions Trip” in the memo line so that it will be credited to our account.

As with last year, we plan to give our friends, family, and supporters a daily glimpse into our journey with our online blog. Each day we will be posting updates from the field complete with pictures and hopefully this year video. It will give you the opportunity to literally join us on the missions’ field and get a firsthand view of your money in action!

Check for updates leading up to the trip and daily during the trip at: www.thehughesfive.blogspot.com.

Finally, the most important thing you could do for us is pray. This is a spiritual journey for us and will require spiritual support. We thank you in advance for all of your prayer and support! May God bless you for your generosity! We look forward to being able to share with you the lives that were touched by your generosity and support!

God Bless,

Bill & Jaci Hughes

FYI: Send checks to us whether you make it out to the church or not. If you need our address for mailing purposes, just email us!

Noah Wins Christian Character Award

2009-06-13T09:52:00.000-04:00

We are so proud of Noah for winning the Christian Character award for his class. Each class had one student selected to win that award. As a parent, it is so nice to hear that our son was selected for this award.

A few weeks ago, several of the coaches at our Kids Avenue program identified Noah as someone who does the right thing in class even when his close friends in the group are acting up.

Now, no kid is perfect, but Noah continues to show a maturity and a Christian testimony that is worthy of celebrating and honoring. Some kids are leaders and some kids are followers. Noah is both--a leader among his peers and a follower of Jesus Christ.

Please pray that Noah will continue to maintain this worthy testimony before the Lord.

Also, pray for Noah and the rest of us as we prepare to take a missions trip to Guatemala. Pray for the financing to be made available and pray for our spiritual and physical safety during the trip (what with all the swine flu out there!)

GUATEMALA 2009

2009-06-07T16:21:00.000-04:00

Coming soon! Our plea for your prayer and your financial support as we seek to--GULP--take the entire family with us on a missions trip to Guatemala this summer. Our church, GCCC, will be taking a church trip to Guatemala this summer and we will be joining them and running the program at the schools. We are also hoping to go a few days early to spend some time with Lauren and help her get prepared for the team.

Please be in prayer for our family's safety, spiritual growth, and finances as we seek to heed God's call to return to Guatemala!

Check back soon for updates about the trip and for how you can make a donation to our trip!

Hughes Family Walks The Steps of Abraham: Where To Lord?

2009-04-10T11:46:00.000-04:00

As we enter the Easter weekend, we find ourselves restless.

Have you ever been restless before?

If you have, then you know what I am talking about. You know that there are times in your life that you feel like the Lord is directing you to some great next stage in your life, but you don't know what that is or when it might come to pass.

Jaci and I feel very restless this Easter season.

For some time, we have been praying that the Lord would direct our steps and open the doors for us that need to be opened. So far nothing.

Of course, the first instinct when the doors remained locked and shut down tight is to question the Lord as to where He is.

Of course, as Job knows, God then has the potential to respond by asking us where we were when He created the earth. He is somewhat bigger than we are. (Especially with our nearly 60 pound combined weight loss!) Okay, so He's a lot bigger than we are. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.

The frustrating thing for our family right now is that we feel like God has given us a vision of where He wants us to ultimately be, but we haven't gotten the road map yet. We know where He wants us ultimately to end up, we just don't know the timeline and how we are to end up there!

In our culture of immediate gratification, it is very difficult to be put into a holding pattern. It's difficult when the GPS isn't giving us the next route to take.

So, we find ourselves praying and becoming increasingly frustrated that God doesn't move at the pace that we would like Him to. Please pray with us as we seek God's will for our lives and are expecting that He will open the doors that need to be opened.

Easter is all about the death of our old life and the re-birth of something new entirely. In almost 10 years of marriage, Jaci and I can both say that we are not the same people who entered into this covenant back in 1999. We have grown and changed throughout the years, but the cool thing for us has been that God is having us serve together. This life is meant to be a team sport for the Hughes family and we remain on the same team.

After 5 years of serving with Choices of the Heart back in 2007, God made it clear to BOTH OF US that I was to take the step of faith to leave and spend more time serving in Kids Avenue. After a short time without that second income, we were able to enter into a new position with Kids Avenue at church that helped to offset the lost income from Choices of the Heart.

That in itself is amazing, because if you were to tell me that I would be serving in Children's ministry even 3 years ago, I would have laughed at you. However, we became involved in using the 252 Basics Curriculum for children and have found it to be an amazing tool to train young people for lives that serve the Lord and live according to His Word.

Jesus wants our faithfulness. Sometimes that faithfulness is hard to maintain when things don't fall into place the way we would like them to. Sometimes getting that vision of the promised land is frustrating when you know that you are stuck in the middle of the wilderness somewhere with no estimated time of arrival in the promised land.

We have seen God do the miraculous in our lives and we are trusting that He will do again. Please pray for us during this time of testing!

May God bless you this Easter season with the miracle of Jesus' power in your life. May you come to know Christ more deeply and intimately than ever and may you also get a glimpse of the promised land that God has for you and yours.

May we all have the courage to wait on the Lord and step out in faith when called to do so.

Happy Easter!

Biggest Loser Update!

2009-03-15T17:23:00.000-04:00

After 2 months of dieting, I am happy to report that the Hughes family has lost over 50 pounds! It's a good feeling to lose that much weight and fit into clothing that hasn't fit you in a while! Both Jaci and I feel like we have a lot more energy and feel healthier! Together we have now lost 53 pounds now!

Reagan's Prayer

2009-03-09T21:03:00.000-04:00

While Jaci was at church tonight, I had the honor of giving both Jackson and Reagan baths and putting them to bed. We even got to watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse together!

As I put Reagan to bed, I prayed with her as we always do. I concluded my prayer and prepared to leave her room, she asked if she could pray. I told her that she could and she prayed the following:

"Dear Jesus,

Thank you for our trip to Disney World. Keep us safe on our trip to Disney World and just follow us there. Follow us at Disney World and just follow us everywhere. Amen."

Now, she has been praying for our upcoming Disney trip for weeks. It's not a shock to me that she would pray for that trip. I thought it was cute, however, that she asked Jesus to just follow us everywhere including Disney World.

In uncertain times may we all have the heart of this little one to ask Jesus to walk with us in our trials and tribulation. Out of the mouth of a child, God ordained praise. Little Reagan is able to see the need to have her Savior walking with her. What a wonderful blessing for a Daddy!

Lessons Learned On a Trip To Georgia

2009-02-19T21:47:00.001-05:00

The family recently took the long President's Day weekend to travel 13 hours (16 hours with all of our stops!) to Georgia. We stayed in the Atlanta Metro area in a town called Alpharetta. That town has the North Point Community Church where our Sunday School curriculum comes from. Jaci and I had visited during the summer of 2008, but we wanted to bring the kids down to see it. We also took the kids to a mummy exhibit at Emory University and the Atlanta Aquarium featuring a Titanic exhibit. We had so much fun and were so blessed by our time at North Point. We truly love the area where the church is located and would love to live there some day!

During the very lengthy trips to and from the kids were absolute angels. This is shocking because Jackson usually freaks out and screams endlessly on a simple trip to the store. Yet for the entire trip, God blessed us with good behavior on the kid front.

So, here are some things we learned on our trip:

1. Having a 2 monitor portable DVD player in the backseat for the kids is an amazing thing. Everyone should have one.

2. Those southerners like their speed! The speed limit on many roads in the south was 70 MPH. That was fun and sped up the trip!

3. Sonic is a cool fast food place that should come up north.

4. Cracker Barrels are on every corner south of Delaware.

5. You apparently take a route through Tennessee to come home after leaving western North Carolina.

6. There is actually a town called "Bat Cave" in North Carolina. No word on whether Bruce Wayne lives there or not. Alfred could not be reached for comment.

7. Houses are dirt cheap in Georgia. For the price of a modest double-wide in NJ you could own a southern mansion.

8. Jaci's Uncle Don likes to go for mountain drives. We stayed with him in North Carolina on Sunday night on our way home. He took Jaci for a drive of the scenery and they weren't seen again for hours.

9. Noah knows everything there is to know about mummies and Egypt. He rattled off names of Egyptian gods, customs, and artifacts.

10. Atlanta is much cleaner than Philly. Philly looks like a third world poverty-stricken country compared to the beauty and cleanliness of Atlanta.

11. GPS is a wonderful thing. Except sometimes it gets confused and tells you to do U-turns and then when you complete that U-turn it tells you to do it again.

12. It is possible to sometimes order healthy food when you go out.

13. It is also possible to workout while you are away.

14. God is awesome and has a big plan and adventure for all of us.

15. The south sure loves their confederate history. Virtually every road is named after a Civil War general.

Anyway, we had a great time and look forward to the next time we can visit our adopted home state of Georgia!

38 POUNDS LIGHTER!

2009-01-28T19:44:00.000-05:00

So 23 days after starting the Biggest Loser Hughes Edition, we have lost a combined total of 38 pounds! It is very exciting to start to fit into clothes that you haven't worn in a while and the extra energy is coming in handy in keeping up with the kids!

Please continue to pray for us in our journey to fitness!

Plateaus Are Hard To Tolerate (And A House Full of Germs Doesn't Help!)

2009-01-25T23:19:00.000-05:00

The Hughes family's quest to get fit and healthy in 2009 has hit a bit of a snag this week as Jaci is down with a case of severe bronchitis and I have not been able to keep up with my workouts as much as I'd like.

The weight loss combined stands at almost 30 pounds now for the two of us, but it is only a minor additional loss for this past week. That can be frustrating. I am the kind of person that needs to see results immediately and if they slow down I can get down and out!

Also, there have been some developments in our life this week that are really causing us to seek the Lord for what He is calling us to do. It almost seems like He might be calling us to make some drastic changes that will up-end our entire life. Only time and prayer will tell if this is the case or if he is just testing us to see if we are willing to give certain things up, but we find ourselves in a tough spot that calls for a lot of prayer. We just need to make sure that we follow the plan God has for our lives and for our children. Our first priority is to be serving God and creating a safe environment and strong spiritual foundation for our children who will carry the banner of faith for the next generation. Already there are some good signs of that as Noah has indicated that he is interested in getting baptized this year and as we just reported, Reagan has accepted the Lord at not even 4!

Too many times Christians put ministry first and their children second, and I believe that is wrong biblically. We are to put God first, but part of what He has called us to do in our lives is to raise our children. He entrusted this kids to us and so yes we have to serve God, but we need to get out of the mentality that says being a good parent imparting a strong and lasting faith to our children is not part of serving Him because it is! So for us, the choice is clear. Any direction that God will lead us will be in the best interests of our children.

We will keep you posted on our Biggest Loser challenge as we weigh in again later in the week. Hopefully the next week will be kinder than this week!

God bless friends!

Reagan Gets Saved...And the Hughes' Lose 23 Pounds!

2009-01-13T10:13:00.000-05:00

Our little girl, Reagan, accepted the Lord on the way to church this weekend. Jaci was in the van talking to Noah about getting baptized this year and they were talking about how old Noah was when he got saved (almost 4) and Reagan told Mommy that she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart too. Jaci explained it to her and walked her through the prayer and Reagan was quite excited about her choice! She especially liked when we told her that the angels in heaven were having a party about her. Big brother Noah is anxious to be baptized, so that is something that we will be scheduling at the church later this year.

In other more worldly news, the Hughes Family Biggest Loser Competition is off to a great start! Just a little over a week into the competition I have lost 15 pounds and Jaci has lost 8 pounds! Praise the Lord for helping us to be so focused on our diet and exercise routine!

January 2009 Biggest Loser Begins!

2009-01-01T11:03:00.000-05:00

Well folks, it's that time of year for resolutions. My resolutions are the same this year as they usually are:

1. Get more organized
2. Somehow make more money to keep up with bills in NJ
3. Lose weight

This year, the focus is definitely on accomplishing them. Especially the weight loss. Jaci and I are going to start our own Biggest Loser competition starting Jan 5. I will also be competing in a Biggest Loser competition at school. Our goal is to work out every day and to create a healthy menu plan that is low-carb and low-fat.

Once we get started, we will be posting updates on the site every week. That will help keep us accountable! Maybe I can even convince my excellent photographer wife Jaci to take the before photos this weekend and then take a new photo each week to track our progress!

Please pray for us during this challenge! The main reason we are motivated to do this is because we don't want to hand down weight issues to our kids.

So a healthy and happy 2009 to all of you!

God Bless!

Christmas Newsletter & Photos

2008-12-28T17:56:00.001-05:00

Christmas Time Is Here (And Going WAY TOO FAST!)

2008-12-10T18:35:00.000-05:00

I love Christmas time. I love it. I can't wait all year for it and then the season is upon us and passes by like a flash of lightning. Every year we talk about making a calendar of special traditions to make sure that we don't miss out on something and every year we fail to do so and it is Christmas before we know it!

At our church this weekend, we had 1980s Christian music icon Wayne Watson. I was never a huge fan of the man although his duet with Sandi Patty on "Another Time, Another Place" was a standard in the Hughes household. I managed to sit in the balcony at the Saturday night service by myself. Nobody was really sitting up there so I had the luxury of stretching out and enjoying myself.

I have been feeling stressed out, tired, and overworked for the past few weeks for a number of reasons. God found a way to speak to me in that service to remind me that the lacking "tradition" of Christmas for me right now was joy.

I began to think back on past Christmases as I listened to Wayne sing some carols. It's funny too because my most treasured Christmas memories are not those involving a cool gift that I received or an especially generous season.

The things that came to my mind were all centered around the joy of the Lord.

I thought about my childhood pastor and the joy of the Lord that he exhibited to everyone, but especially at Christmastime.

I thought of the endless times we went Christmas caroling to shut-ins, to the sick, to nursing homes.

I thought of the Christmas parties our church threw for the kids from the Camden neighborhood center and of one girl in particular from that center. She was all of about 7 or 8 and had absolutely nothing in this world stuff-wise. We stood around a piano and this little girl from Camden belted out the most beautiful, innocent and joy soaked version of Away in a Manger that I have ever heard even to this day.

I think of the time I spent with my parents and brother and the trips to Lancaster to ride the train.

I think of my wedding (Dec 4, 1999) and our first Christmas together.

I think of all of the Christmases since the birth of our children and the pure joy that sharing this season with them brings to Jaci and I.

I then think of the Savior of mankind. The Son of God, who chose to be born to a couple so poor that they had to offer a turtle-dove at the temple (the cheapest offering one could make) and who had nothing, providing only a manger filled with hay for the Savior to sleep in.

How ironic that the world tries to make Christmas a holiday about stuff, when Jesus makes it just the opposite. The one thing that Mary & Joseph did have was the joy of the Lord. Jesus brought joy to the world that night in Bethlehem. It was despite our circumstance and in spite of our sin.

I find that I generally like the beginnings to stories more than the end. Maybe that's why I respond so much more strongly to Christmas than to Easter. Maybe it's because I can relate to Joseph and often try to think about what this night meant to him.

Don't miss the joy this Christmas season that the baby in Bethelehem represents!

(FYI we will be taking the Christmas pictures of the kids this week. Check back soon as I will be posting them as soon as I get them!)

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2008-11-29T22:10:00.001-05:00

You might be thinking to yourself, "Gee, didn't they just post about Noah's birthday yesterday?" You are correct. Our sons birthdays are the 28th and the 29th. Six years almost to the day.

So our little linebacker Jackson turns 2 today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIR!

Happy Birthday Noah!

2008-11-28T12:28:00.000-05:00

Eight years ago today our little boy Noah was born. It is hard to believe that our little guy is now 8. How quickly the years go by! Please join us in wishing Noah a HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY!

Remember To Give Thanks For Unexpected Blessings!

2008-11-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends on the web from the Hughes family. We are currently in the midst of decorating our house for Christmas, cleaning for company, and cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Just call us masters at multi-tasking!

In the quiet before the guests arrive, I stopped to reflect on the people in our family and how thankful I am for each of them.

First, I am incredibly thankful for my wife. She's the perfect wife for me. We like to relax together and share in this journey of life. Laughter is a constant companion of ours in our busy lives. Her humor, support, and patience with me as we share the burdens of raising a family has been a source of great strength for me. After nine years of marriage on Dec 4, we have learned a lot about each other and ourselves. We've smoothed each other's rough edges. We're not perfect (anyone who has seen our messy house can attest to that) but we have fun and we're in this together!

Second, our oldest son Noah turns 8 tomorrow. I remember the day we found out that we were going to be parents. We had only been married a few months, and with our "no kids for at least 5 years" plan that we had going, a baby was the last thing we expected. Jaci came out of the bathroom after taking the pregnancy test assuring me that she knew she wasn't pregnant only to see as she completed that sentence a second line appear on the test. Shock soon gave way to surprising joy. God is often like that. He brings things to us that we didn't expect, or perhaps in a way or timing that we didn't expect. Hey, I met my wife because I dated her sister first, so the Hughes family is all about unexpected blessings! Noah was born 5 weeks early and peed in my face the very first time that I changed him. He has grown from a playful outgoing little baby to a deeply reflective and tender-hearted boy.

Noah can be a handful sometimes, but when I reflect on all of the contributions he has made to our family and the tremendous heart that he has for others, I can't help but be blessed. The Lord has big plans for that boy!

Then I reflect on the baby that Jaci and I lost a few years later and the subsequent 2 years of trying for another baby. I remember how Jaci struggled with others who were having babies. It seemed everywhere we looked a new baby was being born and yet every month our hopes for a second child were dashed. Finally, in a Christmas card in 2003, Jaci's cousin wrote a word from the Lord to us that we would be pregnant within a year. We held on to that promise as month after month went by.

In October of 2004 we were on our last month before infertility treatments were to begin. Jaci took several tests which were all negative. This month for me was different though. I felt the Lord (who doesn't really speak to me audibly like others claim) telling me that Jaci was going to be pregnant. Finally, Jaci took another test and again the result was negative. I wasn't defeated, but Jaci really was. She left her test on the sink in the bathroom and as I entered to take my shower, I noticed that there was now a very faint second line on the test. I told Jaci the news and we took many more tests just to make sure. They all turned out the same. One mature Christian woman told me that God wanted me to tell Jaci the news because I was the one He had sent the word to that she would be pregnant.

That baby turned our to be our daughter Reagan. She was the first girl born into the Hughes family in about 60 years. She is currently going through a little bit of a phase, but she is deep at heart a loving little girl who's smile brightens up our home. She can often be overheard singing a princess song in the car, the bathtub, the kitchen, wherever she happens to be.

Then there's Jackson. He is Dr. Destructo. He demolishes our house and doesn't think twice of knocking his sister over or taking toys from her. He is in the two year old stage of freaking out maniacally if he doesn't get his way on something. Yet he also has a joyful fun-loving side that just radiates throughout our home.

Jackson was also a surprise. I came home one day to my 2 kids sitting on the dining room table with balloons around them and Jaci manning the video camera. On Noah's stomach, she had written "Big Brother X 2" and on Reagan's she had written "Big Sister." I was shocked. We spent most of that next week bursting out into random laughter (much like I imagine Sarah and Abraham did!)

God likes to surprise us with the joys of life. We sometimes miss that when our child is misbehaving or the bills are late. We sometimes look at our problems instead of our blessings.

On Thanksgiving I am saying a big THANK YOU to the Lord for the wonderful family that I am not worthy of and that makes my life an unspeakable joy. It is the high calling of my life to be called Jaci's husband and the father of Noah, Reagan and Jackson.

God Bless you and your family this Thanksgiving!

THANKFUL & BLESSED

2008-11-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, so we are officially entering that part of the year where the sentimentality and reminiscing begins for me. I find it very difficult for a day to go by during the fall and the Christmas season that I am not touched by the blessings that God has bestowed upon me or re-living a fond childhood memory.

Jaci and I have felt tired, stressed, overwhelmed and yet very thankful and very blessed by God. His provision for our family, his blessing on our church and ministry. The awesome gift of salvation.

I tend to see things more clearly through the lives of my kids. The joy and the deep love and trust that they have. The love that they are already showing for Jesus. The simple, yet profound childlike faith that I wish I had.

Each moment with our kids is priceless. Each moment with each other is priceless.

Reagan is so affectionate and really loves her family. It melts my heart every time she runs up to me excited to see me and leaps into my arms. Jackson's joy is contagious and it isn't long before everyone that he sees is giggling like a child themselves because of his tremendous joy. A gift that honestly I believe the Lord will use to great effect in his life.

Then there's Noah. It's hard to believe that my little boy is about to turn 8. I looked at some old pictures of him from when he was Jackson's age and it is amazing how similar they look. Yet, God continues to bless him with wisdom beyond his years. Talking about the election today, Noah asked me if Barack Obama is elected if all the people will have to "kill their babies" or only the people who want to. I had to explain to him that abortion is when some mommies and daddies don't want a baby and they choose to kill it.

He cut right to the heart of the matter and asked, "Dad, if they don't want their baby why can't they just give it to a family that does want a baby instead of killing it?" I was blown away by his wisdom.

God is good. During this time of year, it's fun to bask in that goodness and let Him know just how thankful and blessed we are and to share that blessing with others!

GOD PROVIDES & TRUSTING IN HIM TO DO IT AGAIN!

2008-10-05T14:26:00.000-04:00

Jaci and I are coming off of 2 tough weeks of Kids Avenue. I have been sick for the last 2 weeks with a terrible cough and congestion that I can't seem to get rid of. The last 2 weekends in Kids Avenue have been, to say the least, trying.

Satan has been throwing every attack that he can at the ministry in an attempt to thwart our children's spiritual development. Last weekend, it was exhausting both spiritually and physically. It took a huge toll on me and I found myself just hanging on.

This weekend the attacks were also relentless. The sound system didn't work. The itunes set up on the computer wasn't working. The DVDs for many of the large group songs were missing. During our 9 AM service 4 kids had to leave early due to illness, during the 11 2 kids did. It was crazy.

Did I mention that we are teaching about Determination this month? As I taught the kids the story on determination focusing on the Apostle Paul, I began to feel the Holy Spirit sharing with me that this was what was being manifested in our ministry over the last 2 weeks. I could just give up and go home, or I could, like Paul, say "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run#cr1 with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:2 NIV

If only we could all have the determination of Paul. After every beating, imprisonment, and shipwreck, he continued to get up and push on again to that prize of preaching the gospel to the world! That kind of determination could literally change not just our community, but the world itself!

Why is it that we so often wonder how we will get through something when we serve a God larger than all of our problems? Sometimes it takes looking at the largeness of God reflected through the eyes of our children to remind us how big God is. After all, we are all "children" of the Father.

So, we just continue to pray that God will provide for all of our needs. Our current prayer as a family is for our van. We really need to maintain 2 vehicles due to all of our church obligations and picking Noah up from Bethel Prep in the afternoons when I can't. Our van's transmission has been on the brink of breaking down for over a year now. We just can't afford to get it replaced. It also doesn't have heat or defrost, which we were able to ignore during the spring and summer, but with winter around the bend we are going to need it replaced.

So, once again we sit here as a family with a financial need that is insurmountable in our own ability. Please pray along with us that God will provide a way to fix our van so that we can still maintain all of our current obligations in serving Him at Kids Avenue in GCCC! I, for one, can't wait to see God move!

PLEASE PRAY FOR LAUREN'S SCHOOL IN GUATEMALA

2008-09-29T11:22:00.000-04:00

We just learned from Lauren that the School of Life and Hope (1 of 2 schools that we worked in during our July trip) might be getting new neighbors. Apparently the land next to the school is for sale and the school is planning on purchasing a part of that land. The rest, however, is going to be turned into a by the hour hotel that will be a den of prostitution and drug dealing. This would obviously not be a good thing to have right next to the school. In fact, the picture above would be overlooking the new set-up as it is right next to it.

Right now it appears that the only way that this can be avoided would be if God provided the school with the additional funding (which is quite substantial) to purchase more of the property. Please pray about funding and protection for this very important ministry in Guatemala!

EVERY DAY

2008-09-07T18:16:00.000-04:00

Jaci and I had the priviledge of visiting North Point Community Church down in Alpharetta, GA over Labor Day weekend. North Point is pastored by Andy Stanley, son of the famous Charles Stanley. North Point is also where our church gets our children's curriculum from. We went down to check out the children's ministry there and were absolutely blown away by the support and just amazing facilities and program that they have there. It really inspired us to take Kids Avenue to the next level.

When we went into the church service, they sang a song called "Every Day" by Rascal Flatts. I've never really heard the song before. I like country music, but I don't really listen to the radio unless it's talk radio or Christian radio.

It's a hopeful little ditty probably not necessarily to be about God, but it fits so perfectly. The singer talks about someone who "everyday saves my life," how "sometimes I swear I don't know if I'm coming or going, but you always say something without even knowing, that I'm hanging on to your words with all of my might and it's alright, yeah, I'm alright for one more night..."

It's a beautiful song that works on so many levels. Obviously as a Christian it is the cry of my heart on many days. Just crying out to Jesus to save me. Realizing as I'm driving my car the depths to which He goes to save me. The understanding that the Bible tells us His mercies are new EVERY morning. He gives us just enough grace to carry on for one more day. That truth was recently powerfully conveyed by the daughter of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman. On dealing with the accidental death of her 5 year old sister, this young woman talked about how she knew this verse, but that she had never lived this verse. Her overwhelming grief and sorrow feels each day like it will crush her, yet Jesus gives her just enough, just enough to get through the day. Not enough, she noted to get through the next day, but enough to carry her to her pillow that night, and each morning she finds a new supply of mercy from her loving Savior. What a beautiful illustration of how desperately we need Christ! Every day. Every hour. Every minute. Every second. Now.

The song "Every Day" also speaks of other relationships in my life. My wife comes to mind first. So many days she offers the right words at the right time. Sometimes it's just her beautiful smile. Sometimes its that childlike twinkle she gets in her eyes when she's really excited about something. There are so many days when God uses her to save me from whatever I'm dealing with that day.

Another example is of course my kids. Reagan, our 3 year old, is so excited every day when I come home and always asks me if I had a good day. She came up to me today with her Cinderella shoes on and asked me to dance with her. Jackson provides such joy to me that my heart overflows. His giggles, and that big bright smile that sometimes means he's getting into mischief, but always warms my heart. Then there is my big boy Noah. He's grown so much, and his love for the Lord and for others, his surprisingly deep spiritual understanding of God's love and the spiritual battle between good and evil gives me hope everyday for the future. Every day I see glimpses of the future powerful man of God that he will be and I think I can't possible be worthy of being his father.

Finally, I also think of the people who work in the trenches with me at church. There is a bond in serving in ministry and doing the Lord's work that can't really be touched by the secular world. So many times the heart and devotion these folks show week to week and the words of inspiration that they say to me come at the right time. I'm sitting there doubting that I'm doing anything good, that I am useless, that I fail much more than I succeed, that I could leave and nobody would even notice, and someone makes a comment at my moment of need or demonstrates God's love through their actions at just the right time to save me from myself.

Everyday is a day to praise the Lord and thank Him for the blessings that he's given us and the fact that literally, he does save us every day!

P.S. I added the song I'm talking about to our player down below so enjoy!

HUGHES KIDS ENDORSE MCCAIN / PALIN TICKET!

2008-09-01T18:45:00.000-04:00

I thought that I would share these cute pictures of our kids showing their support for the McCain/Palin ticket. It's very exciting as a father to have a woman like Palin on the ticket for Reagan to look up to!

Whose Kids Are They? An Important Lesson About Our Children

2008-08-06T15:26:00.001-04:00

Last night, we took the gang to Ocean City, NJ for a beach photo shoot. Now, personally I was upset that I wasn't given enough of a heads up by Jaci in order to lose 80 pounds for the shoot, but we went anyway. So in addition to trying to strategically place the children in front of my fat stomach, we had quite the time getting them to all smile and all look at the camera at the same time!

Of course, it didn't take the kids long to soil their outfits with salt water and sand. After the shoot, the kiddies played on the beach. Sure it was messy and they were in fancy clothes not bathing suits, but sometimes you have to kick back and let kids be kids. Jaci and the kids were frolicking in the surf as I sat on the beach watching them and God began to speak to me about the tremendous blessings these kids are.

Then this mornging, Steven Curtis Chapman and his family appeared on Good Morning America to discuss the tragic accidental death of his 6 year old daughter Maria Chapman. The family discussed their faith in the grieving process and the hope that only Jesus Christ can sustain you with in such a dark time.

As a father of young children, it makes you really think about not just appreciating every second we have with our kids, but also realizing WHOSE they really are. God entrusts them to us for a time, but they belong to him.

God speaks of this truth in the account of Abraham and Isaac and of course, ultimately in Jesus' death on the cross and the silence that God the Father had to maintain during that difficult time. Our children are HIS CHILDREN first and foremost. Whatever pre-conditions or expectations we have on parenting goes out the window pretty quickly. For me that was in the first hours of Noah's life, when Noah peed in my face! Not exactly a hallmark moment.

Yet, that's the life that God has given us. Moment by moment we have the ability to shape these young lives and impart the wisdom of God in their lives. We have this HOPE in Christ that He knows the plans He has for us, but we don't know those plans. There are no promises of a neat and tidy orderly life. Life is messy. Bad things happen to even the strongest of Christians. So often when something like the Chapman family story comes along, we revert back to works-based thinking and ask God why He would allow something like that to happen to a family that does so much work for the sake of the Gospel.

Life (all of it) is a gift. Steven and his family know that they will one day see Maria again in that great big family reunion in the sky. We as parents need to understand the awesome blessing that our children are to us and recognize the source of that gift as the author of all life--Jesus Christ.

So take a moment and kiss your kids. Hug them, sing silly songs, make messes on the beach, embrace the miracle of childhood. Most of all, take the time to pray with them and lead them to be more like Christ with each footstep because you never know how much time you have. As you look at the face of your kids and realize how much they mean to you, remember the sacrifice that God made for each of us and thank him for the time He's given you with your precious little ones!

LESSONS LEARNED FROM GUATEMALA--IN THE WORLD NOT OF IT!

2008-07-29T16:40:00.000-04:00

One of the things that stuck us the most about the believers in Guatemala was their joy in the Lord despite overwhelming poverty and hardship. It was so unique to see people with so little have so much more than we have here in the United States. Our higher standard of living and stuff get in the way. We have more things to rely on, so we don't desperately cling to the joy of the Lord the way these poor Guatemalan villagers did.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:12: "Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, IN THE HOLINESS AND SINCERITY THAT ARE FROM GOD. We have done so not ACCORDING TO WORLDLY WISDOM but ACCORDING TO GOD'S GRACE." (emphasis mine)

God has set His seal of "ownership" on us and "put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit," (2 Cor 1:22) and yet so many evangelicals live like the world does in embracing our culture and popular media in an effort to not separate ourselves from the world.

Do we really do any witnessing there? Do we blend in just to be accepted or do we deal IN the world IN THE HOLINESS and SINCERITY THAT ARE FROM GOD? God's holiness has no part with the sinful and debasing cultural norms that we have become so comfortable with. Even in missions work, it's easy to get lost in the humanitarian work and neglect the Gospel.

Paul reminds us in 2 Cor 3:12 that because we have the hope of the Gospel we are "VERY BOLD" in our dealings with the world. He goes on in verse 13 & 18 to remind us that we "are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to eep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away...and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the LORD."

So often we make excuses for our cultural acceptances and popularity seeking compromises by comparing ourselves to Jesus being in the world. The Word reveals this to be another deception of the enemy, however, when you truly examine Christ's life. He didn't merely dwell in the mud with the pigs and therefore get dirty himself. He sought to bring those pigs out of the mud and purify them to present them to His Father. He didn't avoid getting muddy, but he never joined the world in accepting the materialistic, and sinful cultural norms. On the contrary, He challenged everything society and worldly wisdom had to offer in a bold "holy" and "sincere" way that touched a spiritual nerve deep down inside the tax collector, the street prostitute, the dirtiest of sinners. He did so not by accepting and joining in in their behavior, but by showing them the way out of their behavior and into the fulfillment that can only be found in the joy of the Lord.

Those of us Christ-followers lucky enough to live in a well-off country like the United States need to really ask ourselves when the last time we dealt with the world in the Lord's holiness was? When was the last time we didn't just merely attempt to fit in and be friendly with the world, but that we actually put ourselves and our position, money, and reputation on the line to further the Gospel of Christ? When was the last time that we seriously attempted to help a fellow pig out of the mud instead of wallowing around in it with them?

The believers in Guatemala understand this holiness and joy of the Lord. Let their unveiled faces reflect the radiance that we seem to miss in the glare of all of our stuff!

Check back often as we will continue with this blog! Also, we are prayerfully planning a return trip to Guatemala next summer with a team of people. More details to follow. Let us know if you are in for the adventure of a lifetime! God Bless!

FLIGHT FROM "H" "E" "DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS!"

2008-07-24T12:57:00.000-04:00

FYI: WE POSTED TWO BLOGS TODAY SO MAKE SURE YOU READ THE FOLLOWING ONE AS WELL THAT DETAILS OUR LAST DAY IN GUATEMALA!

Just an update to let you know that we are home in NJ after a long trip! We left Lauren's house at 4 am, and headed for the airport. Our plane arrived in Houston almost an hour late because of Hurricane Dolly that we had to fly around. Then we still had 2 hours in the Houston airport before boarding plane #2. Let me just say that anything that could go wrong with that flight did. We arrived at Newark on time (about 6:15) but then had to circle for 45 minutes because of a thunder and lightning storm. We then began running out of gas. SO, we flew to some hicktown airport in NY called Newburg, where we were to re-fuel and fly back to Newark. Only, we couldn't re-fuel because there was lightning there too, so we sat and waiting for over an hour and a half. FYI: this plane was "new"so they didn't have televisions of any kind, so there wasn't even an in-flight movie! Also, the Hughes family likes to eat, so sitting on a plane for 7 hours without any dinner was not fun!

Finally, we were refuelled and flew to Newark, where we finally set down about 10 PM. Then, our friend the lightning struck again. Our luggage took at least 45 minutes to be unloaded, and then only 3 of our 4 bags came out. Then an announcement was made that the luggage unloading would be delayed due to lightning issues. HOWEVER, what they later informed us was that the unloading wasn't delayed, it was STOPPED. They would need AT LEAST 2 hours to get the rest of the luggage off of the plane. Finally, we were able to get our last piece of luggage and head home (thanks to Jaci's Dad's smart thinking to ask some random people in a side office where they apparently DID have some of the luggage from the plane INSIDE the airport that for some reason they weren't unloading!) We got home around 1:30 in the morning, with Jaci having been up for 24 hours and me having been up for 22. It was so bad that even when I attempted to go to the restroom during our wait in the airport, they were closed for cleaning.

Of course, our experiences on the mission field in the last week taught us a little something about being grateful for what we have and keeping the right perspective. This little bookend of our trip was God's way of reinforcing that to us! Thanks for all of your love and support for our trip! We can't wait to see you all face to face to share with you!

P.S. We were so excited to see our little ones last night and this morning, but the second they go down for their naps, we will all be asleep!

GERBER'S FAMILY, NOAH THE KNIGHT & OUR LAST FULL DAY IN GUATEMALA!

2008-07-24T12:01:00.001-04:00

SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY! We attempted to blog Tuesday night, but the internet was down at Lauren's house so we couldn't. Well, Monday night we went to dinner at Gerber's family's house. We got to meet Gerber's parents, and another sister. His sister Mirna, from the Proximos Pasos school was there as well. Noah got to play with Gerber's nephew Elvis and they had a great time together. Unfortunately, our camera batteries were charging, so we didn't get any photos, although Gerber did take some and will be emailing them to us at some point. Gerber's parents are such warm, loving and funny people (we laughed all night long)! They work really hard to advance the Kingdom of God in a village called Ixcan(?) I have no idea how to spell it, so I might be spelling it wrong. In this village they build wells, and houses for people who often literally stick a bunch of sugar cane together and call it a house. They have also been building a house and library for pastors to stay in to come share with the village, and they are putting together materials for local indigenous pastors to use in teaching the villagers about Christ. They do a VBS in December for 4 different villages in the area and have a minimum of 250 kids per VBS (that's right 1000 kids!) many of which have never heard the name of Christ before and now have a deep and lasting love for Him! The villages in Ixcan are incredibly poor, more so than any of the poverty that we saw, so it is really a large task for them to undertake. We provided them with a suitcase full of school supplies from Kids Avenue for their work in Ixcan, and they told us they would be using them for both their VBS outreach and their pastor support (many of the local pastors don't have any supplies: no commentaries, Bibles, paper, pens, anything...) Please pray for this wonderful family and the incredible work they do with these very needy people. Gerber's dad told us that our kids in GCCC were doing a wonderful service to Christ in helping people they have never and will probably never meet in the name of Christ. It was very emotional to hear him speak about the eternal difference some little kids in NJ can make simply by donating some school supplies.

After dinner, Jaci was dressed in authentic Guatemalan tipica. There were photos don't worry, but they will have to be posted when we get them sent to us by Gerber!

The last day in Guatemala was spent at the school in Santa Lucia (check out the pic above of Noah and I with Optimus Prime holding a Bible!), where Noah once again played soccer and some kick ball with the boys. He was nicknamed "Noah the Knight" by some of the boys and they really seemed to flock to him. He even said "I wonder what I did that made me so popular?" We worked with 4 more classes on Tuesday, and taught them both You Are Good and Mighty To Save. The "Mighty To Save" worship time was amazing. The kids really worshipped the Lord and all of us felt the presence of the Lord there in the classroom. It was quite an amazing experience. We also presented the school with the supplies donated by GCCC's Kids Avenue.

After we were done, we had a luncheon with Wally (the principal of the school) and the teaching staff. They each shared a little bit about what they do and Wally shared the vision of the school to really provide these kids with the education they need, but also to share Christ with them and their families. He talked of the many people in the community that had come to Christ as a result of the school since its inception in 1999. Tuesday night we went out to dinner at an Italian place to celebrate both my birthday and Lauren's birthday. It was a great dinner and we returned to Lauren's house to pack and go to sleep! Our Guatemalan experience was phenomenal. It really opened our eyes to the work that is to be done our there and the wonderful people serving God in very difficult circumstances. Please pray about a return visit next summer and the possibility of joining us on this very exciting spiritual battlefield for the Lord!

10,000 MEMBER CHURCHES, BATMAN, DROOLING CLOUDS & FUTBOL!

2008-07-21T17:30:00.000-04:00

"I love the Lord, He heard my voice, He heard my cry for mercy, because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live." Psalm 116:1-2

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible...I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." 1 Corinthians 9:19,22

Sorry that we didn't get to blog yesterday, but we were too tired! On Sunday, we attended a mega-church in San Christobol. The church sanctuary seats 10,000 members and this particular church has 2 locations! It was great, and as you can see from above we got to wear trendy headphones for an English translation of the sermon...the problem with that is that the woman who did the translation often stopped translating and started again several sentences later, so we missed a bunch. I actually understood more of the beginning of the service when I was only listening to Spanish. It's amazing how quickly you begin to pick up spanish when you have to!

Well, for the last few days we have not had running water in the house. The picture above is Jaci washing her hair with bottled water in Lauren's backyard. Sunday night, Lauren and I and a guy named Ricardo (who is also down on a short-term trip to Guatemala) went into the city to see the new Batman movie. It was PACKED! It only costs 3.50 to see a movie down here at night my friends! We actually pulled an ugly American moment. The lines were so long there was no promise that we would get seats, so Ricardo took our money and went up to the front of the line and offered to pay for the couple's tickets if they could buy ours as well. They said yes!

It rained quite a bit yesterday. Noah referred to the clouds as "drooling" because of the pouring rain and we thought that was funny!

Today we went to "Vida y Esperenza" (The School of Life and Hope) which has about 230+ students and is located in Santa Lucia. On the way, we got a good look at the volcano "fuego" which is active and a few days has been smoking. You can also see red at the top where lava has come out!

Anyway, this school has both boys and girls and Noah had a great time here playing soccer with the kids as you can see from the above picture. He really felt in his element. I think he made some good friends. We sang "You Are Good" with some of the kids, and taught it to them in Spanish and English. It's such a precious message to share with the kids because together we represent the words to the song, we are different nations and tribes and we are different generations praising the Lords together (a view that heaven will be like no doubt!) Tomorrow we hope to tackle a new song "Mighty To Save." Also, Noah is going to spend 30 dollars of his own money buying some athletic equipment for the kids at this school. All of these kids at the schools that we have been visiting are sponsored by Christians in America who sign up to donate a certain amount per month. That's Lauren's job at Mission Impact and she really tries hard to get all of the kids sponsorship as many of their families are in absolute poverty. This village is definitely more Americanized. Lauren said they are still poor and many have dirt floors in their houses, but some of them have televisions!

Also, we failed to get a pic of this because the camera was dying, but they have a mural of Optimus Prime (from the Transformers) holding up a Bible! Noah and I were quite excited about that!

It's been so great to see God working in the lives of these kids as they learn more about Him. This afternoon we went to the market in Antiqua and did a little bargaining. I bought some sort of wristband thing, but after looking at it realized that the design on it was a topless mermaid! So, we returned if for a more appropriate elephant face! It was very funny!

This evening we will be having dinner at the home of Gerber, a Guatemalan who serves as a missionary with Mission Impact and his family. Tomorrow we will spend our last day in Guatemala back at Vida y Esperenza. Please pray for Jackson and Reagan, as Jackson is starting to miss mommy. Reagan is doing great so far. God bless my friends!

Noah Is A Bobblehead!

2008-07-19T23:20:00.000-04:00

No new pics today as we didn't want to get the camera wet. We went to a waterpark that was about an hour away from here. Noah had a great time and we finally saw what the Guatemala rainy season is all about! It rained off and on pretty much all day, but that doesn't really matter when you are partying in a waterpark! It had a wavepool, another regular pool, and a pool with slides, various types of buckets dumping water on you and other fun kid-friendly stuff.

One funny comment from Noah today: As we were riding through Antigua on our way to the park, we have to ride over all cobblestone roads. It's quite the bouncy ride, and a difficult one to make if you have to go to the bathroom as I did the other day! Anyway, as we were riding on the cobblestone roads, Noah told us that his head was "bouncing around like a bobblehead doll." He continues to crack us up!

Another God moment: On the way to the park we found ourselves in a dense fog. We prayed that God would remove the fog for us and literally within seconds the fog improved dramatically. We went from not being able to see even 5 feet in front of the car to a pretty good visability. Lauren said that the missionary life demands such prayers, that often you are on your way somewhere and something like really hard rain, fog, or random huge piles of sticks left in the middle of the road block your path. You just have to say, "Lord, I'm going to need you to take care of this for me..." and He does. How awesome! I said maybe we should pray for a million dollars since God was in a habit of answering everything immediately down here, but for some reason everyone thought that that was not the way it worked!

After the waterpark, we stopped at a place called Serita's for ice cream. Lauren had an altercation with the owner because her "egg nog" ice cream was in her words "disgusting." He wouldn't let her get another flavor, so she took a napkin and removed the scoop of "egg nog" and placed it on the counter. Oh that Lauren!

Tomorrow we will be going to a mega-church with over 10,000 people!

MARVIN & KELLY CONQUER GUATEMALA...ALSO LICE WASHES MADE EASY!

2008-07-19T00:22:00.001-04:00

1 Corinthians 4:20: "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."

Okay, so we returned to the girl's school of Proximos Pasos today in the little village of Santa Maria de Jesus (as a reminder, the village on the volcano!) Now, you would think that having made such a big splash with my fat gut that these girls would remember everything about us. Well, sadly no. When Lauren asked them what our names were, Jaci was "Kelly" and I was "Marvin." My first thought was "who is this Marvin and did he have a bigger belly for drum beating? Because I can eat more donuts if that's what I need to do!" So after a hearty chuckle, we reminded them of our real names and we got to work!

We led the kids in "You Are Good" and it was such a blessing to see that these little girls had written down the lyrics, studied them and practiced the motions. It was such a great worship experience for us and the kids! After the singing was done, Noah assisted in giving each class some cookies after serving on the worship team.

After that, Jaci, Noah and I presented some of the school supplies that GCCC's Kids Avenue had donated for our trip to the school's staff. We then took some pencils, pens and erasers and presented one of each to the 74 girls at the school. They were very thankful and presented us with little wooden Guatemalan dolls that they had made for us.

Then came the moment you have all been waiting for...the LICE WASH. The day before we had gone the the local pharmacia and bought the lice wash and shampoo (as well as latex gloves!) All 74 girls of the school lined up and got their hair rinsed by a hose, and then the staff (including Jaci and Lauren!) donned latex gloves and massaged some lice shampoo into their heads. It had to "sizzle" on their heads for 15 minutes, and then they came through again and were

shampooed and rinsed one more time. ALL of these girls had lice. Some of them hadn't washed their hair in a month. Two and half hours later, the lice wash was done and the ladies looked "muy bonita." Lauren actually got a lice egg on her tongue in case you were wondering (no word on whether or not she added ketchup or mustard to her delightful feast!) To my knowledge Jaci did not partake in such a grand meal. The girls and Carlos from the staff were dancing to Caedmon's Call songs while they completed the wash, including appropriately "Volcanoland."

Noah entertained some of the girls with his various karate/fighting moves that he likes to do. He has truly been a trooper during this trip.

As we were preparing to leave the school, Mirna, the principal came up to us and presented us with pens that had crocheted covers that read "Proximos Pasos." She thanked us for sharing with the girls and bringing so much joy to them. She also told Jaci that the girls and staff will be praying for healing for her MS. The power of the Holy Spirit in that moment was so powerful that Jaci, Lauren and I were reduced to tears. I put at the beginning of this blog the verse that the "Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." In that moment the beauty of the loving bond of the body of Christ was made manifest and the power of God was present in that room. That they would care so much about us and find what measly few things we did for them as a source of great joy and happiness has blessed Jaci, Noah and I more than they could ever know. Isn't that just the way with our Lord though? Just when we step out in faith to do something for Him, He returns the blessing 100 fold.

We left the school for the last time, as we will be visiting the boys school on Monday, and it was bittersweet. It is our fervent hope that we will be able to return to these precious girls again and spend more time sharing in the blessings of the Holy Spirit.

I sit here at the computer a very blessed (and yet pleasantly plump and bald) man. My God loves me so much that He blessed me with my family, my church, my friends, and my country (but not hair or thinness.) He also found favor enough on me to allow me to be blessed with an experience like this. In the epic adventure of this life of faith, I pray that He allows me many more such adventures. It is an awesome blessing and priviledge to serve Jesus Christ. Drink it in my friends!

Tomorrow, we will be enjoying a little vacation day and going to some big water park that they have down here. Needless to say, Noah is very excited about this. Thank you for continuing to read this blog and praying for us. Your prayers are appreciated and deeply felt.

God Bless!

A Big Belly for the Lord!

2008-07-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

Today we went to Proximos Pasos (The Next Steps) a Christian girls school in the village of Santa Maria de Jesus, which happens to be located ON the volcano! The weather continues to be beautiful--"Forever spring" here in Guatemala during the rainy season. We haven't had a drop of rain since arriving! On the way to the school, we stopped at an outlook to take pictures of the volcano yet again (I will never tire of seeing a giant volcano silently screaming the awesome majesty, glory and power of God every time I look at it!) There happened to be some clouds covering the top, and Lauren prayed that God would remove the clouds...literally within seconds most of the clouds were gone!

Once we arrived at the school, we were a little nervous. Not speaking Spanish and all, we weren't sure what to expect. We were introduced to the girls, and then the girls had a little worship service where they sang some songs to us. It was awesome to see their little faces lighting up as they sang about their Lord.

Then it was our turn! We went from classroom to classroom to teach them "You Are Good" a favorite from Kids Avenue...but in Spanish. Noah became a member of the worship team helping to teach them the motions to the song. One of the little girls really captured Jaci and my hearts. She sat in the front row and was so excited about the songs that the joy of the Lord literally jumped off of her face. The look of being so lost in her joy and love for the Lord on this precious little one who in the eyes of the world is so insignificant was something burned forever into my mind and was something of priceless value to her Creator. As the saying goes, "when you worship, God smiles"...well He must have been beaming this morning.

I am happy to report that the language barrier was broken by my big fat stomach. I started giving high fives to some of the girls and they were so eager for any kind of affection or contact with us that it just made your heart break for these little girls. How precious they are to Christ! Well, in doing this little game, some of the girls began poking me in the stomach. Now, I have never thought that my love of food and hatred of all things exercise related would ever lead to serving the Lord, but as you can see in the above photo I became quite the drum set for these young ladies. Pass the donuts, AMEN! It just goes to reinforce 1 Corinthians 1:17: "preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." We need only to allow ourselves to be Christ's hands and feet and HE will work through us no matter what barriers we face! He'll even work through a fat bald guy's belly.

I have to say that the girls seem to be rather fond of Noah. They giggled and smiled and could be overheard saying "novio" about him (it means boyfriend!) Noah is really getting to see some of the hardships that others face. After the school, we went to a house that the appropriate technology team from Mission Impact (led by a wonderful Guatemalan man named Margarito) was building a brick stove in. This family would literally bring wood into their house, set a fire on the floor and cook dinner. Their houses have very little furniture, and are pretty much like a dark and dirty basement would be. They have so very little, but they reflect a radiance of the Lord that I can't explain. 1 Corinthians 1:28 does say: "He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are so that no one may boast before him." All of our ipods, cell phones, a/c, material possessions, power and accomplishments are indeed nullified when you see the joy of a Christian living in these conditions. If only we were so content and allowed the joy of the Lord to so permeate our lives!

I also wanted to say that Lauren really shines down here. Psalm 90:17 says, "may the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the work of our hands." God has firmly established this work in Lauren's hands. It's not just that she's so fluent in Spanish, but rather it's such a blessing to see someone who has discovered the purpose that God created for her and flourishing in the power of His calling. It is the Lord working through Lauren, Jeff, Terry, Gerber, Mirna and the others at MI that establishes His kingdom here in Guatemala.

Jaci has also truly shined here. Her eyes lit up today at the school when she was working with the kids. There is such a childlike innocent joy that radiates from her face when she is really engaged in doing the Lords work that is so beautiful to watch and makes me proud to be her husband. In addition to working with the girls with music, Jaci was also called upon by MI to take a bunch of pictures of the girls and the staff for their yearly calendar. How awesome that the Lord allowed her to work in an area that she loves so much! God really demonstrated that in our own weakness, He is strong. We were a bunch of gringos who know very little Spanish, and yet I can't help but think that the smiles and voices of this precious little girls were bringing such a giddy joyful grin to our Savior's face today. As 1 Corinthians 1:25 says "the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength!" What a blessing to know the all-powerful Savior of the world loves each little smile and hears each cry!

In other news, we got lost in Antigua today and were wandering around for a while trying to find Lauren's car. This is why Jaci and I will never apply to be on the Amazing Race. Not exactly walking GPS devices now are we? Don't worry, we were able to find Burger King alright! Then later tonight, Noah got to see Domino's pizza delivered via motorcycle!

I can't help but think about coming back next summer with a team of people to work in the schools (hello Kids Ave people!) and to help the appropriate technology folks (hello Nick Strohl!) There is such a need down here that you just feel so compelled to do something...anything that you can about it. Pray about it folks, because we'd like to take a lot of you down here next year!

Your feedback has been such a blessing to us, just to know that you care enough to read about the adventures of a few crazy gringos living in the shadow of a volcano!

God Bless You!

HOLD THAT PLANE!

2008-07-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

Well, the Hughes family re-created some scenes from the cinematic masterpiece Home Alone. That's right, we were the LAST people on both our plane leaving from Newark and our plane leaving from Houston. The first one was because we arrived late, the second...well, we were pressed for time but we decided that a stop at Wendy's was important.

Now, the frenzied dash for the plane stood in contrast to the glory of listening to praise music on my ipod while flying above the clouds. Talk about the glory of the Lord!

We arrived in Guatemala around 1:30 and got settled in at Lauren's house. Her street is VERY STEEP. Now, I have done the BIGGEST LOSER workout DVDs, but I'm going to be honest--walking her street tires me out!

All throughout today we felt God saying...I am with you. His glory was revealed in the beautiful landscape of the country. Personally, I love volcanoes. Love them. A few years ago I was disappointed when Mt. St. Helen's failed to erupt. Gerber, another missionary with Mission Impact, who picked us up, told us that he and some friends hiked to the top of the volcano (a 5 hour trip for fit people...that would take me days!) I now have a new goal: get fit enough to bring some people back here and hike that volcano!

The majesty of the volcanoes here is really beyond description. To me, seeing the clouds wrapped around the top of the volcano just looks to me like what it must have looked like to the Israelites while Moses was meeting with God on the mountain. Of course, those clowns were busy worshipping gold cows every two seconds. When I make fun of them, God like to point out to me that we are often like those Israelites. Worshipping the "golden cows" in our lives while missing the all-encompassing glory that is literally standing right in front of us in the person of Jesus Christ. We long for beauty and yet somehow so often miss the beauty of our Savior. God pointed out to me today in Colossians 1:17 that "in Him all things hold together." The same hand that raised that volcano holds the unborn baby, the poor and downtrodden, marriages, churches, ministries, countries. We so often miss that and like the Israelites seek to make "golden cows" in an attempt to fix things, when we need to realize that God is the one that holds things together not us! We attempt to serve two masters while saying we only want to serve the Lord. If we put half the time into serving the Lord that we do serving ourselves, can you just imagine the possibilities?

Psalm 86:11-12 says: Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give ME AND UNDIVIDED HEART that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord with ALL MY HEART. I will glorify your name forever!"

The volcano reminds us that we don't have an UNDIVIDED HEART towards God. We look at God with one eye and fashion golden cows with another. It is too easy to lose sight of what's important. I pray that all of our eyes can be opened to this truth that we may worship the LORD with ALL of our heart!

Tomorrow we will be going to an all-girls school and working with the kids. We'll blog about that experience tomorrow night!

God bless!

PACKING & PRAYING

2008-07-14T15:36:00.000-04:00

With our trip only a little over 24 hours away, we are currently working our way through the packing process. We are attempting to squeeze all 4 big boxes of school supplies that Kids Avenue donated into suitcases without surpassing the weight limit. As a result, we are going to pack less clothing for ourselves and do some laundry at Lauren's house during the week to create more space for the supplies.

The Mom and Dad in us are beginning to worry about our two little ones that we are leaving behind in NJ for an entire week. That is probably the most difficult part of the trip. They'll be in good hands (Grandmom, Aunt Julie, Nana & Pop-Pop) but not seeing their little faces for an entire week is a bit rough, especially on Mommy!

God has provided the finances for the trip (praise Him!) We are looking forward to using this blog to updating our friends, family and supporters back in NJ about our trip. The plan at this moment is to try to blog each night with updates and some of Jaci's pictures.

Just wanted to share one verse God brought to my attention as we prepare to leave:

"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." Psalm 72:12-14

It has been such a blessing of ours over the years to see how God has continued to deliver us from seemingly hopeless situations. It is such a precious promise to know that Jesus came to rescue us all. He didn't see differing values on people based on social standing, ability, accomplishment, wealth, appearance, race, etc. He saw the inherent value and dignity of each life and the Bible reassures us here in the Psalm that the blood of the afflicted, needy and weak is precious in His sight.

He loves the poorest of the poor in Guatemala with the same powerful, all-encompassing love that He has for those of us lucky enough to live in the United States.

It's our hope to be able to be God's hands and feet in sharing this precious universal truth with the people of Guatemala. I can hear God saying to each of us in the words of the song by Tenth Avenue North:

"My love is over. It's underneath. It's inside. It's in between.
The times you doubt Me, when you can't feel.
The times that you question, 'Is this for real?'
The times you're broken. The times that you mend.
The times that you hate Me, and the times that you bend.
Well, My love is over, it's underneath.It's inside, it's in between.
These times you're healing, and when your heart breaks.
The times that you feel like you're falling from grace.
The times you're hurting. The times that you heal.
The times you go hungry, and are tempted to steal.
The times of confusion, in chaos and pain. I'm there in your sorrow, under the weight of your shame.
I'm there through your heartache. I'm there in the storm.
My love I will keep you, by My pow'r alone. I don't care where you fall, where you have been.
I'll never forsake you, My love never ends. It never ends."

What a friend, king, redeemer, and Savior we have in Jesus!

COUNTDOWN TO GUATEMALA

2008-07-08T11:28:00.000-04:00

We are excited as our missions trip to Guatemala draws near. One week from Wednesday we will be heading off on our Central American adventure with our 7 year old son Noah. Perhaps equally as adventurous is the fact that our two little ones Reagan (3) and Jackson (1 1/2) will be remaining in New Jersey with Grandmom, Aunt Julie, and Nana and Pop-Pop. This could be problematic as Reagan is in a constant state of asking "Where's mommy?" if Jaci even dares to go into the other room or run to the store for a few minutes. A whole week without Mommy is going to be a challenge for our little princess, so please pray for the kids and our family that will be staying with them.

So far God has provided a good amount of money for our trip. We are still a little short on what we need, but most of our expenses are being covered by our generous friends, family and church. When God called us to make this trip, it was a financial impossibility, but we took a step in faith and God has supplied our needs.

I am attempting to figure out this blogging thing as our hope is to blog every day from the mission field with updates and pictures of our trip. In the meantime, please pray for the following:

Safety during our trip
God's favor on our trip
Health for our entire family
Bill, Jaci and Noah to be prepared spiritually, mentally, and physically for the trip
Jaci specifically for her MS not to act up while on the trip
the kids and school in Guatemala where we will be serving
Reagan and Jackson back in the states

We can't thank you all enough for the love and support you have given our family and for all of the generous prayer and financial support you have given to this trip. May God bless you for your sacrifices and faithfulness!

God Bless!