Reflections

I am totally amazed at what God can do on a regular basis, but sometimes things just come together in such a way that it can ONLY be God! I am 100% convinced that God was in complete control of our mission trips this summer. That includes both the Guatemala trip and the Memphis trip. Every trip is awesome in its own way, but every once in a while things come together in a way that I just have to sit back and be in awe of God. A few months ago I was a little concerned about the trip...I had talked to Mission Serve a few times and they said that the youth pastor at the church we were staying at would be arranging our work projects. Well, I wasn't getting a lot of answers (at least not answers that I wanted to hear anyway. I was concerned that our projects were going to be "less" than what we wanted. He kept talking about painting and I kept saying..."we have skilled people and a group that can handle much larger projects". A couple of months ago, Jeff Williamson(youth pastor at Union Ave. Baptist where we are staying) gave me a choice of several houses to complete and I also decided on doing a VBS in one of the innercity parks. I felt a lot better about our projects and after talking with Jeff a few times, I felt even better. BUT, the reception we got when we arrived...to the service we got on our sites and at the church...and on and on and on......I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A TRIP WHERE THINGS WENT SO SMOOTHLY! (Guatemala was pretty much the same way) If we needed something, it was there...If we had a problem, it was solved immediately. I can't even describe how awesome Jeff Williamson was throughout the week and how awesome the city of West Memphis was for supplying everything we needed and more. Our kids had a great experience and did some incredible work! So proud to be the youth pastor of this group. I feel sad because I am losing a great class of kids to college this year, but I am so pumped about the future of The EDGE! Our church, our parents, the folks who give so much to us...BE EXCITED! This group is awesome and will be for years!Steve

Last day in construction!

Reporting again live from Memphis Tennessee, it's Courtney Monier here! (HA, Steve, you DO have a blogger from construction!!) it was an amazing last day for everyone, first we got to the construction site and blessed the home with prayer and gifted mrs. Josie with a bible signed by all on our crew! I just kept thinking thank you God for bringing us here to work on her house, and just bringing us here to the city of Memphis! :) we proceeded to put the finishing touches of paint on our home! (not to forget the major amount that ended up on Some of our bodies!)
Our crew then made the trek over to Keith's site, where we had lunch, had a small water fight, and helped clean up. There we also said a prayer for the home, since the home owner couldn't be with us for health causes. Both crews then packed up and headed over to the VBS, where we hopped out real quick to visit the large group of happy, sno-cone filled children, parents, and youth groupers! :) THEN, AFTER THAT, (almost there) the construction workers graciously received some amazing Baskin Robbins ice cream compliments of the fabulous Keith and Marita Taylor!!!! FINALLY, we arrived at the church where we showered, ate, then participated in a really uplifting concert by Jared Anderson and the desperation band. This has been a great day and week, full of smiles and great work. I'm simply glad I get to spend a week with these amazing people. :) NOW for some pictures;

Last day

Great last day at the park! I can't speak for the construction crews and there aren't a lot of bloggers from those groups so I guess you will have to wait for those updates.

More later......

Jacob's Well

What an awesome experience at Jacob's Well Church. We fed a lot of homeless and impoverished people (and ourselves), then some of us joined them in some outreach ministry after dinner. Their church is built on reaching out to people in need and then those people return the blessings on others. About 10 of our high schooler's and a couple of our adults went with Christy Anderson and Dave (Christy's "reeaallly good friend"!) to hand out some sack lunches to the homeless and sit and talk with them. Our teens were pretty impressed with Dave's ability to engage them in conversation and really know how to pray for them.

Kristi Aupperle, Laura Sammer, and I (along with a few of our teens) went with their pastor and a some of the volunteers to knock on doors and invite people to the church and to a Block
Party they are hosting next Wednesday. We also prayed with lots of them. I think we all had a great experience.

Bounce House, Sno-Cone's, and Jesus

Yep, they all go together in West Memphis! Another successful day at the park. All the kids are very respectful and kind and are really glad that we are there!

Mmmm Mmmm Gooooood!

The consenses of 47 BBQ afficianodo's is that Memphis BBQ Company is WONDERFUL!!!!!!! The BBQ was some of the best(if not the best)I have ever had, and everyone else agreed. The BBQ was excellent, but the service helped make the experience even better. They have a great staff who seem to really enjoy working there. A great big thanks goes out to Hap Zook in LeRoy! He hooked us up with this place, and he definitely knew what he was talking about. Just finished our evening devotions...the mood is one of joy, accomplishment, satisfaction, laughter, etc.... We got to spend some more time with Christy Anderson tonight and will see her again at Jacob's Well Church tomorrow night for the meal we are preparing. Always good to hang out with Christy! Steve

First day of VBS

Here's one of the many adorable pictures taken today of the VBS kids.

-Carson

VBS in the Park

It all started with the one lone girl that was brave enough to break off from her friends and said "I'm staying!" Before we knew it we had 25 or 30 kids playing in the park. It was fun...our kids & adults were busy getting to know the kids and having a great time. We started making peanut butter sandwiches and suddenly we had 60 kids in line for sandwiches and chips!!!! What an awesome time! We gathered after lunch for a short Bible lesson (correlating to the summer Olympics)and then we did a craft for those who wanted to...Crystal took pictures of as many kids as she could before lunch and ran to Walgreens to print them out, then they made and decorated frames to put them in. THe bounce house was fun for the kids and our kids were fun for the kids!So proud to be leading such an AWESOME YOUTH GROUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Steve

Memphis

Hello from Memphis!

The Young Construction Crew!

Hey y'all, it's Courtney Monier here, I'm writing this after dinner and a long day of construction. Never had I ever thought that I would be re-roofing! It was hot, but I think we were all working real hard, which is great!!! We progressed a ton on our site; we ripped up shingles, re-plywooded, and stapled felt down all on half of the roof! It looks really good too, I'm excited to go back again tomorrow! One thing I've noticed; everything in Memphis, is gated with chain link fence. Some with barbed wire. I realize why this is, it just kind of showed me how lucky we really are to live in comfy LeRoy, where you can sleep with your door unlocked. It may not always be the most exciting place, but it's safe and it's home :) well, Steve's ready to walk us to an unknown destination, goodbye and goodnight! Fabulous first day, 927 thumbs up :)
Reporting live from grand Memphis Tennessee, Courtney

Walking in Memphis...to find coffee!

A busy day for the VBS crew. We had breakfast, cleaned up, then planned for tomorrow. Steve thought we would have around 30 kids--now we're told up to 100. The more the merrier--but we do have to feed & entertain them. We checked out the park & passed out fliers. Then we stopped by the construction sites--now THEY WERE WORKING HARD! And it's hot! Then we were off to Walmart to plan our meal we'll feed the homeless.
-Wendy

Hot

It's hot in Memphis!! Our VBS crew canvased a neighborhood handing out flyers checked out our construction teams and went shopping. Oh, and we started our day at Starbucks! It's good to be in a group with Steve!
The construction teams aren't back yet but they worked extremely hard in extreme heat. They will be ready for a shower and a nap when they get back!

In the park!

Sometimes you stumble across cute little souvenirs, today I found a tiny key in the dirt near the park we'll be working in tomorrow!

-Carson

Ready or Not!

We are here and in a few hours our group of 46 will be making a difference in Memphis in the name of Jesus Christ! We have several "first timers" and a small handful of " old vets" and together we will get it done!
Our home base, Union Avenue Baptist Church is great!
The facilities are good and the youth pastor is taking great care of us.
The hour is late and we have a big day in front of us so check back tomorrow and see how we are doing!
Steve

MEMPHIS!!!

It is time for another adventure! I heard from a lot of people about how they really enjoyed following us on our blog while we were in Guatemala. So we are back for more! This time 46 of us are heading to Memphis for a week of service. We will be doing two construction projects, a VBS in a local park, an preparing and serving a meal to about 65 homeless and impoverished people. I am looking forward to another great week of missions! Hope you enjoy following along!Steve

Thanks

We all had a great experience in Guatemala! Thanks to all who helped make that possible through prayer or financial help.

Almost Over

You know how sometimes time flies so fast yet it seems like a lifetime? That is how this week seemed. We experienced so much in a short amount of time and it will take a few days to process everything.
We were blessed with the opportunity to go with the Block's to their new home and new ministry at Village of Hope in San Lucas. It is gonna be a great experience for them!

Could I do it? Could you do it?

I sit here with tears in my eyes wondering if I could do it. Could I give up my comforts of home to follow God's call? Yes I have followed God's call into youth ministry and yes that came at a price, however, it was a small price. And yes, I still feel that calling on my life. I often wonder how effective our youth program really is. Am I doing right by these kids, am I doing enough? Then I sit back and watch the kids who have "graduated" from The EDGE and I see what they can do and I feel blessed to be around them. Others in college are doing great things as well (Christy Anderson, Jon Brashear, Kirsti Clawson-just to name a few). And yet I still feel like there is more. My heart is always filled when I am on the mission field....but that is hard! That is sacrifice! Could I do it, am I supposed to do it...? I see Todd and Amy who had a beautiful family of six turn into a beautiful family of 11 because they were willing...then followed God one step farther...into the mission field. Now, some may think I am putting the Block's up on a pedestal, but I'm not. They are a regular ordinary family.. They are simply following God's call. Everyone reading this is regular and ordinary, but is that enough? I want to become extraordinary! And all we have to do to be extraordinary is follow God's call in our lives! Can I do it? Can you do it?
Yes we can!
Steve

Almost loaded...

Last day at Eagles Nest

It is our last day at Eagles Nest. Today we will pack the Block Family into a truck and a bus and, if there is enough time, get a tour of their new facilities at the Village of Hope. They show no stress, though they are moving a family a 11, they are giving up a solid roof to live in a building with a plastic corrugated roof, they are beginning a completely new mission field, they are hosting our group of 14, and their van broke down yesterday. They are completely trusting God.I am the first one up. I've had my last cold shower here...and survived the widow maker (the electric shower head that is supposed to warm the water). It's really more like grabbing an electric fence. The coffee is not yet ready. It is another beautiful morning. It will probably rain again today, but there is no hint of that now. The flowers are in bloom all around the complex. Rising from the valley, I hear some Latin music, a distant truck meandering up a dirt road, dogs barking, roosters crowing...a town in a third world country waking up. Closer I hear bids chirping, our cooks holding a conversation in Spanish, and the filter of the pool clicking on and off. God is great! As we prepare to leave I am thinking of several words, phrases and names that we will never think of the same, will hold a special place in our hearts, anr/or will always remind us of our time together in Guatemala. In no particular order:Eagles Nest,Solola, Panajachel, Proverbs 24:12, Bein provecho (may it sit well with you), Estella, Missionary Family,Cancha (court), Tuktuk, Chicken bus,Soccer,Mercado (market), Haggle,Pineapple, Mango, Tres leches, Guats happening?, Lemonade con soda, Orphan, Parents, Village of Hope, Block Family, Giving up everything to heed Gods call, Signs Mafia sardines (games we played), Atitlan, Zip line, Rainy season, Manna, Little green pill, Americanos, Keegan, Kallan, Addisyn, Sydney, Todd & Amy, Adoption, AIDS, Hola, Buenos Dias, Widow maker, Chicken head/foot, Fish war, Journalling, Quentzales or "Q", Be the change, Adventure, "good price for you", con permiso (with permission), Juan Manuel, Dulce, Victoria, Chauto, Paula, Ever, Maria, Anita, Paola and others. Ask us about them when you see us! Now I also hear a group of orphans playing and the coffee is ready. Looking forward to what God has in store for us today! Bob

Zip Lines

Everyone had a great experience on the zip lines!!

Do not delete

Isn't there always a warning that comes up before any data is deleted? Apparently that is not always the case. Unfortunately, all video footage from Friday night through Wednesday has officially been deleted from our brand new video camera! There are lots of pictures being taken and some iPhone video so the trip will be remembered through pictured for sure.
I may have jinxed myself by thinking that I may do a picture only "video" for this trip. My thinking was it could be something they could show and use for a presentation sometime. Plus sometimes a picture seems to capture "a moment" better than video.
However, with all that said.....I am extremely upset and sick about losing the video!
Nothing I can do about it now I guess, the adventure continues...

There is something fishy in Guatemala!

...in the men's room?

Follow that TukTuk!!!

The boys got to ride on the Tuktuks today down to Estella's home for lunch. This is the view from inside. Notice the road on which we ate travel from eagles nest down to Solola.

Ally & Ali :)

Trent leading devotions at Manna...notice the newly painted yellow walls!

Lunch at Estella's

It was the guys turn to cruise into town on tuk-tuk's today to have lunch at Estella's home. Everything was great!

Dulce :)

Who needs video games?

School kids are having a blast rolling basketballs under their legs in the gutter down the very steep walkway to the cancha (court). Our Sunday school kids raised money to improve the lighting there. Sun sets very early here, so it will go to good use! Our kids played in a serious soccer game there last night with the Block kids & Sydney Bland all decked out in team Guatemala gear. A couple of locals participated who were really fun to watch. I'd post pictures, but the lighting their needs to be improved!

Oh, Guat a beautiful morning!

Hannah leading devotions at Manna with Addisyn Block translating

Serving local youth in the daily Manna Food program

Mission Work

I have always enjoyed going on mission trips, in the USA and other countries. In fact, crystal has often mentioned going somewhere to run a mission.
Here is my suggestion for anyone who is running a mission or thinking of starting one someday...come to Guatemala and spend some time with Todd and Amy Block. They have the right attitude and personality to be missionaries. They wouldn't have to teach you anything, their spirit would just rub off on you! It has been a pleasure being here with them in Guatemala!!

Happy Birthday Steve & Maddie :)

It's only Tuesday?!

Hello! It is Hannah! My job this week has been playing with babies! I know what you are thinking... Wait, I donated money to play with babies!? But seriously, it is so much more than playing. All of the children here either do not have parents or their parents do not want them/can't take care of them. There are about 3 "mamas" in the home at a time with about 15 kids 2 and under. Needless to say, there is not much nurturing going on. Everytime we walk in most of the babies are in their cribs and have not had their diaper changed. Yesterday, there was a little girl about 2 years old named Dulce. She never had any expression on her face and doesn't want anyone to hold her, but she always wants me! I can hold her for hours and she just cuddles with me. Children at orphanages do not get loved and cuddled and nurtured like children in a typical American family do, so it is really an eye opener how much they loved to be cuddled. That was my most significant time of the day. Tonight at dinner we talked about our day and a couple girls and I are already emotional about having to leave in a couple days. Thanks for your support!!

Addisyn's Devotion

Tonight Addisyn Block shared her story of her mission project that many in Leroy took part in this year...that was to give up lunch one day to donate the money you would have otherwise spent. She was inspired by her trip to Africa to get her sister and by Proverbs 24:12, which reads:

"Once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows what we know and holds us responsible to act."

This week we are surrounded by children who do not hear each day how much they are loved. Somehow, by our presence, we hope to show them that they are loved by the only one who can truly give unconditional love. And yet, we know that we will leave at the end of the week. Others will come and go, too. We realize that we don't have to go to Guatemala to see this. There are youths even in Leroy who do not know the blessing of parents who make them feel loved each day and there are people in Leroy who do not know Christ's love for them.

Now we know...

Birthdays

Maddie and Steve celebrated in style with fireworks, a fun day of work and play and tres leches for dessert.
WooHoo!! Feliz cumpleanos a todo!

Nolan

Nolan, while not quite as mean as Ethan, he to got a surprise. He got a nice chicken foot for his lunch

Ethan

Due to Ethan's "meanness" (according to Kaycee), he ended up with a surprise chicken head on his plate for lunch!

Solola Market

Went to the farmers market in Solola. This is not a tourist market, but one where the locals shop. It was crowded with Guatemalans wearing thir traditional woven outfits, the color patterns represented their home village. The isles were narrow and we stuck out. I heard the word "americanas" a couple times! The sights and smells were interesting!

Family

It feels like family! Ever since we got here we haven't felt like an "outside" group. From the greeting we got on Saturday and each day since Todd, Amy, and Pedro have been awesome! They want to make sure we are happy and satisfied with everything that we are doing. In fact it seems like we are the ones being served! I know we are here to help and serve the kids and families but we will go home with a special feeling about this place because of the families that are serving here. I know that the new Village of Hope in San Lucas will be an incredible ministry because they have an incredible family who will be running it. Thanks Block family!

Birthdays Guatemala

Today is Steve & Maddies birthdays. Tradition here is to set off a meter legnth of firecrackers for each year of birth...at 5:00 in the morning. We've heard them coming up from shacks in the Vally some mornings. Interesting what traditions hold in a third world country. The Block kids & syd made sure we didn't miss out on this tradition! Here is a picture of purchase of the fireworks late last night at a little shop at the bottom oh the hill in Solola...and a picture of the mess left in front of our cabanas