"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: he is the Messiah, the Lord." Luke 2:11

Here in Guatemala, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th at midnight with fireworks and tamales. Our family will wait for Hannah and Matt to arrive on Monday. It works quite nicely...while everyone here is celebrating, we are finishing up our own preparations!

This has been a busy week, first with a Christmas party given in Chiminisijuan for close to 200 children. Our good friend Oralia went to share the story of Jesus' birth in the language and form that they can understand. I loved watching the faces of the children as they listened intently. The story that we are so familiar with is new to many of them and one that they can relate to...a child born into physical circumstances similar to their own, angels appearing to shepherds - which many of them literally are. Our desire of course is that they realize the reason for His coming. We really strive to avoid the temptation to make the celebration look like ours...with gift giving and traditions that our culture brings. So after the story we had them color and glitter a craft to hang in their homes with the text above and then gave away apples... the traditional Christmas treat here. It was quiet and simple...but lots of fun for both the children and the adults.

The next day we invited all the children and staff from the orphanage in San Andres to come for the day. They love to "pasiar" (to leave the Home). We fixed lunch - an enormous amount of it - and everyone ate until it was all gone and then we played. The older kids played volleyball and the younger ones...hours of freeze tag. The Hogar de Vida (Home of Life) has always held a very special place in our hearts and it was wonderful to have everyone here.

Early yesterday morning we recieved a call from our good friends, Rosa and Armando. Armando is a pastor who helps us in the clinics. Rosa gave birth to little Samuel on Tuesday. He struggled for life on a ventilator until he finally died yesterday. Duane flew to Quiche to bring them home with the casket next to Rosa. Pray for them when you can...their faith is strong but their hearts are broken.

We pray that this Christmas brings joy and peace to you!

We have had a long spell of cold weather - well, relatively cold. It gets down into the 40's at night which I know for many of you sounds wonderful right now. But for those of us who have no heat in our homes it is...uncomfortable. Saturday morning it was really cold and I always feel so badly for those who have walked early in the morning to get one of the first numbers for clinic. They begin to form a line at about 4 in the morning so I know that by the time we open the door, they are really cold. So when moms push forward asking for their babies to be seen first, I understand. Saturday when Martina's mom asked to be seen first, I let her in thinking that she was just cold. But when I unwrapped her, I found that she was breathing about 60 times a minute and her color was not good. We started her on some oxygen and asked if we could take her into the hospital - about 2 1/2 hours away. Mom's tearful response was that her husband was traveling from the coast where he had been cutting sugar cane, and that she could not go to the hospital without his permission. So with Tomas's (our translator) help, we finally were able to talk with dad. He thought it better to meet mom at their home in the mountain and then make a decision. Although we did our best to try and convince them that waiting was probably not the best, mom could not - and would not - go against her husband's decision. So we kept them as long as they would stay, gave them all the medications that we could, and we prayed. When mom finally said that she needed to go, that the last car was leaving, I really struggled as I turned off her oxygen. I knew that without a miracle from God, that she would die within a few hours. I wish I could say that I know that the Lord stepped in and healed her...but I don't. I only know that we did all that we could humanly do, that we did all that God asks us to do, and that the only thing left to do was to trust in the sovereignty of God who "gives and takes away." Not always easy..... Please pray with us for this family who has been so heavily on my heart this week.

On a much happier note, yesterday was the Canilla's annual "enduro" motorcycle competition. David and Joseph both helped to set it up and participated in the race which started with a sort of obsticle course involving jumps and crossing a balance beam, and climbing a teeter toter sort of contraption....all of which greatly enhanced my prayer life! Then they raced off up the mountain for a 45 minute race of endurance over difficult terrain. There were riders from several surrounding villages and about twice as many spectators this year. It was fun for everyone!

Luke 14:13 "....when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind. And you will be blessed..."

We have been given the great privilege of helping in the local drug and alcohol rehab center, directed by our good friend Victor. He goes out into the streets and the cantinas looking for those whom he can help. It is cold now and the police bring to him those who are passed out in the streets, for a night of warmth and shelter even though they may leave again in the morning to repeat the same behavior. They will not leave without the word of God however. About once a month we take a meal to the men (there are usually between 15 and 20 men) and to encourage Victor. His is a difficult call, taking in men who are as low as they can get, working to sober them, feed them physically and spiritually and many times, only to have them return to the same lifestyle. They do not leave though without having experienced the love of Christ. Often they return time and time again asking for another chance. The temptation is to say no...how many times should we do this? But Victor takes them in, time and time again. And so thankfully, is Jesus with us...forgiving us over and over again. It is an honor to encourage and support him in this work.

Yesterday Duane flew to Santiago to pick up a young couple who are working in an orphanage there. They have recently taken in 5 newborns and their Home is full! For those of you who remember Martina - a young child who lived with us and is physically, emotionally and mentally handicapped- she is in their home and doing well. They came for a night away from the stress and labor of caring for a house full - literally - of young children. Since adoptions out of Guatemala have come to an almost complete stop, there is a flood of babies coming into the system. They are difficult and expensive to care for and most Homes are not accepting anymore infants. Duane flew this young couple into Quiche last week to pick up 3 new newborns - two were found near the river, left to die. And one came from here in Canilla. She has a fractured tailbone from being thrown down to the ground and left to die as well. Please pray for strength and wisdom for this young couple, and for laborers to come to help them.

Much of what we do, in addition to medical outreach, involves encouraging young people who have been called by God to serve. Last night as I looked at our living room filled with young people - from our own, to those who have come briefly to visit, I remembered the word of Malachi 4:5-6, "Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to (their) children and the hearts of children to their fathers." What an honor it is to serve Him in this way!

O give thanks to the Lord for He is good; because His mercy endures forever! Psalm 118:1

Of course, Thanksgiving is not a holiday here in Guatemala. But as I began to teach Grace and Abi about why we celebrate today, I realized some similarities in the pilgrim's story and ours. The Pilgrims left their homes and traveled to a land that was not their own, to live among people who lived very differently than they. And the indigenous people came to their aid, they taught them and protected them. So are our friends who have helped and taught us so much. We are grateful to God for each one,,, (and there are so many more than those who are pictured here...but my computer is not cooperating.)

Today as you celebrate with friends and families, I pray that you will take a moment to remember to thank Him for all of blessings to you. Talmud Berachot 35A says, "If you enjoy something in this world without saying a blessing, it is as if you stole it." All good gifts come from Him and He is deserving of all of our praise! May your day be blessed!

It was a joy to spend time with Matt and Heidi Bell and their son Isaac along with Dr Calvin Williams, his wife Latrice and daughter Brittany this past week! These two doctors came to do surgeries in Chichicastenango with Dr. Tom Hoak and then came to spend some time with us here for a clinic out in the Zona Reina on Friday and Saturday clinic here in Canilla. As Leslie mentioned in the last post, we are immensely blessed knowing that we have a referral system through Buen Samaritano Hospital for those patients that we see that are in need of surgery. The girl that we mentioned in the last post who received Christ did not show up for her surgery; we are unsure why, but we continue to pray for her, remembering again that so often once they leave the door of our clinic, all we can do is leave them in God's hands.

Our clinic in San Pedro also brought about a feeling that change is in the air there. Their leadership changed about 6 months ago to, as far as we understand, a non-Christian mayor. This trip, we noticed that the usual cheerful and excited atmosphere was replaced with an apathy and seeming sadness even on the faces of some who often bring the most smiles. We had about one third of the amount of patients we have ever had show up in about two years of working there - further signifying a change - and one of our favorite Christian translators listened to music in one ear the entire time he translated and also displayed a Catholic symbol around his neck. Please pray for the leaders and people of San Pedro that God will turn their hearts back to Him with the passion and joy that has always characterized this village. We know that God never gives up on those He loves, and we pray that his love and mercy will once again draw these people back to Him. Please also pray for discernment for us as we seek guidance on our role at this time.

We look forward to friends Bob and Jodi arriving this weekend for a week long visit, staying through Thanksgiving... it is always a blessing to be able to celebrate this American holiday with fellow Americans!

Please also note that you can keep up with us on Facebook under our page - Adonai International Ministries (just make sure to check out the one based in Guatemala, as there is another Adonai International Ministries as well).

We have been blessed to have a group of doctors who are committed to doing surgeries for those who cannot afford private care and who cannot find resolution within the government health care system. Dr. Tom lives in Chichicastenango (about 2 hours from here) and gave up his private general surgery practise in the US to come and serve here. He works out of a private Methodist hospital in Chichi. Every three months our good friend Dr. Heidi (ob/gyn) comes to serve alongside of him. It gives us a really good option to present to people who are in need of surgical intervention. We know that they will receive caring, compassionate, excellent care and that they will be presented with the Gospel and covered with prayer as well.

This last weekend when Maria came into San Andres, we were so grateful to have this option for her. She was brought by a cousin who is a Christian and knew that this young girl had been repeatedly raped. She brought her to us because they were afraid that she was pregnant. They told us that she was mute as well...although she could obviously hear. Her pregnancy test was negative but her ultrasound showed what looked like a very large abdominal tumor. We talked with her and her family for a long time about her options and about a God who sees and who has compassion for His children and in the end Maria prayed the prayer of salvation - and she was not mute! It is so great to know that as she goes to Chichicastenango this weekend to consult with the surgeons there, that she will be cared for with the love of Jesus. Please pray for her - that God will supernaturally heal her body and her heart.

Fifteen year old Juana came Sunday to our clinic in San Andres from a village about 2 hours away. Her two front teeth were badly decayed, painful and needed to be pulled. The medical team from McAllen Texas examined her and said that they could do not one, but two root canals for her. It took some time to convince her that this would be a good thing for her and that it was worth her missing her ride back to her village. I was amazed...normally those teeth would have just been pulled and she would have gone the rest of her life without her two front teeth. No one is our area does that kind of dental care...bad teeth are pulled...not even filled. This team came with excellence and compassion - a rare combination - and we were honored to have them in our clinic. At one point one of the men came down fro the dental area with a little boy whose face was already swollen. As George came into the pharmacy area, he began to cry, telling me that they had had to pull all of this little boys permanent teeth...that he would for the rest of his life be without teeth.

In a culture where people are mainly concerned about where today's food will come from, dental hygiene is not a priority. And while it seems that we have given out enough tooth brushes and toothpaste to supply the entire population, there are still many who do not own or use a toothbrush. Teeth rot slowly and the nerve dies slowly as well, not producing tons of pain...or at least that is what I have been taught. I am unconvinced though when I look into mouths full of teeth blackened with decay. All of this to say, that it was a huge blessing to have this team here.

Yesterday, Duane, Ivan and I flew to Quiche to visit the men in Victor's drug rehab center. There are 15 men there at the moment - all sober and recovering, receiving care for their bodies and their souls. Ivan made them a nutritious lunch of beef stew and rice. It was a treat as they rarely have meat. Victor told us about one of the men whose 8 year old son brought him to the Center. He came in a Tuk-tuk (a small taxi - with a motorcycle engine) with his dad's suitcases packed. He knocked on the door asking that Victor care for his dad. It is so often the children's responsibility to care for their drunken parents. It is not uncommon to see men passed out, lying in the dirt, with a small child sitting nearby, waiting, watching over his father. Again, we are grateful for people like Victor who are making a difference in the lives of these people whom we have grown to love so much. It is a small difference...a drop in the ocean of need. But we do not "despise the day of small beginnings." And we know that as one person's life is affected by a demonstration of the love of Jesus, the ripple effect that it has upon that person's family and friends is often very great. So we wait...and trust...knowing that what is impossible for us, is an easy thing for God.