And they're off!

One group is in flight (they left at 5:20a.m. today-Saturday), one group is waiting to board (they leave at 3p.m. today) and one is preparing to leave tomorrow at 6:20a.m.  The service team coordinated getting all of the bags collected, sorted, tagged and loaded on the truck for the 3 deliveries to the airport.  It was quite the logistical challenge, but they were up to the task.  Now we are praying it all makes the trip down to Guatemala and through customs without any issues.  If you could specifically pray the medicines through customs that would be awesome.

The team members who are traveling today will participate in the host church's services in Guatemala City tomorrow.  Monday morning we will have our first full service day.

We had an opportunity to present the team members to friends and family at the send-off service last night.  It was encouraging to have so many friends and family there to show their support.  They were able to enjoy both the mime team's and sports/drama team's presentation of their respective programs.  It was exciting to see how much progress each team has made in preparing for "showtime" in Guatemala. Everyone is ready to put their training into practice. We don't know for sure what we will be facing or experiencing, but we have faith that whatever else it is, it will be good.

This trip runs on prayer, and so we cannot express enough how much we value your support through praying for the team.  Its been a wetter than normal rainy season in Guatemala, and we are taking the largest team we have ever had.  Thus, along with the usual prayers for health and safety we would also greatly appreciate prayers for the roads not getting washed out and the resources of the host churches be up to the task of accommodating our team.  Thank you so much!

We'll keep you updated as best we can along the way- as always dependent upon availability of time and technology.  We will also share with the team members any encouragements you are willing to post as comments to the blog.

As we head out today and tomorrow, the following verses reflect the prayer of the leaders for the team members:
          Philippians 2:12-15, 4:4-7

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky..."   

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."