June 15, 2008

A former high school foot ball coach of mine, Jerry Adams, taught me much about life and over coming adversities, as well as things like strength and endurance. All of these have proved profitable on the mission field to me. Coach, we called him, had several sayings also, and the one that I remembered the most was….. “If the good Lord’s willing and the creeks don’t rise.”

Well, a few weeks ago in Guatemala the good Lord was willing but the creeks, rivers and streams all rose. It rained nearly non stop for 10 days straight and this hampered our plans a bit. Perhaps the Lord had a different plan…….

Peter Moncrief from FBC Shreveport, Louisiana arrived a few days early to set up work for the medical team that would arrive a few days later. This team was going to give parasite medicine and vitamins to children in the San Marcos region. School is still in session in Guatemala so one would assume the best place to find children would be in the schools.

Peter had worked hard to get the needed permission for the team to come to various schools and everything was set……or so we thought. The rain continued and the creeks did rise and classes got cancelled for the entire week the team would be in Guatemala.

Monday evening, after returning with the construction/VBS teams from the mountain town called Palo Gordo (Fat Tree), we learned of the medical team’s dilemma. Ely called a few of his pastors and they in turn set up for children to come to their churches and receive the medicines for the rest of the week. You see the creeks did rise but the good Lord already had other plans.

Have you ever tried to move wet sand? Sand that had received nearly 10 inches of rain? I can tell you first hand……. it ain’t easy. I guess a five gallon bucket weighed nearly 100 lbs. and we had to move this heavy marsh down into the basement of the church in Palo Gordo along with rock and concrete. This was not a job for the weak at heart. Working at 8000 feet above sea level produced some difficulties in it self and the cold rain didn’t help matters. The construction/VBS team from FBC in Shreveport ,lead by Pastor of Family Life Ronnie Joe Webb, rose to the task. Weary and worn, soaked and chilled to the bone they pressed on until the job was completed. This was one job I was thankful to see come to an end.

Even with all the rain the children came and experienced a wonderful VBS each day. On Wednesday, Administrative Pastor Gene Hendrix preached his very first sermon in Spanish to the congregation at Palo Gordo and afterward the weary bunch headed back down the mountain once again.

Gene did give us a scare later that night but seems to be doing well now. We greatly appreciate your prayers.

On Friday, the Shreveport team left Malacatan at 8AM going back to Guatemala City. The rain stopped and Ely and I began making preparations for a team, from Pulaski, TN, that would arrive the next day. We finished buying needed supplies by 2pm and started the 6 hour journey back to the city. We made it just in time to join the folks from Shreveport for one last supper together. They were very gracious and generous to us and we appreciate their hard work and dedication.

To God be the glory forever and ever…….Thanks again for your prayers and financial support.

Lewis & Donna Thomas
When Will We Cry Founders