I am Diana's sister and I am just completing a two week stay here in Panajachel. It has been a wonderful experience of the Mayan Guatemalan culture. The people here are very warm and accepting. While here, Diana and I took a boat across the lake and visited the town of Santiago Atitlan. It was a little different Mayan culture. We also visited two schools in nearby towns. Another day trip was to the National Reserve here in Pana and I walked up the mountain and came down on five different zip lines. That was quite an experience to say the least.  I would not have made it up to the first zip line if it weren't for Carlos, my guide. He was a young man and very nice to me. I have also enjoyed shopping and feel I have contributed to the Guatemalan economy. I am bringing home a suitcase full of souvenirs. I am really feeling sad about leaving and am looking forward to coming back.                           -Linda Driesen

Good afternoon, everyone. Here doing e-mails in that I cannot get ANY UGA feeds from radio or anyplace else due to the capacity of the internet hear.  Also, we frequently lose power for a couple hours at a time and that further messes things up.  BUT..the weather is nice!  It has been raining daily in the afternoons, though.  We have enjoyed our duties here, and many of the skills Ecolab taught me have come in real handy.  We have pretty good water softening and filtration systems at our facility which I monitor and upkeep.  We have a 300 foot well that provides water at over 90 degrees due to the local volcanic activity.  There are five volcanoes around the lake we are on (Lake Atitlan), but only two are active.  We have some ministries across the lake in some villages there, and I expect soon to provide some water filters there to help not only the local populace, but also the groups that come in to help continuing rebuilding from Hurricane Stan from a couple years ago.  I am organizing a men’s Bible study with locals we have had opportunity to form relationships with, having just received materials in English and Spanish. 

Some of the above has been a repeat I am sure, but for some of our newer readers...there it is.

Diana's sister is wrapping up a visit, and we expect our daughter Sarah in a couple weeks.  An acquaintance visited two weeks ago we knew from our ELS classes in Georgia, bringing with him a hundred or so CD's he'd make and hoped we could help him sell.  Kinda Christian Mariachi music..(interesting concept)...(Nah...)

That's it for now.  Will update this again soon.  Thanks for tuning in!  Blessings to all!  niel.

P.S. to Eric and Megan....send us a direct e-mail so we can communicat about your requset.  I'm sure we can be of assistance.   (?Wanna buy a CD?)   nthomas@caminternational.org

 

 

 

Good morning, everyone.  It's a beautiful morning in Guatemala, but in a few hours it will start raining again and continue through much of the night.  That's been the pattern the last six weeks.  We are told that it will be this way thru much of October, then it will begin to dry out and wind will pick up.  We ned a couple of dry days to retile half the roof of one of our casitas we bought the materials for.  The other casas roofs are holding up well, praise God.but this one needs help!  I'll soon be able to add "roofing" to my experience list.

I started thinking through the many ways God has used multiples of partners to help us in our ministry here. Example...our projector bulb died, and a partner who was schedueled to come down to do a mission thing at a nearby city orphanage went to the trouble to just days before he left the U.S. to have two lamp assemblies rushed to him to bring to us and have us up and running in under two weeks of the burnout!  What a guy! What a God!  Similar helps have come from MANY of you....and you know who you are!  Our monitary support partners who are so integral conitue to be a blessing as well.  Thanks to you all!

Diana went up to a market in nearby Solala, and in the very crowded conditions was relieved of her wallet and money, including crfedit card and liscense.  It hard to feel "violated"in such a way, and to try to make all the calls  & cancellations needed.  I have thought of giving her a bag full of scorpions or something nasty and going back to the market....

We stopped with Di's sister at the school in Patzun on our way home from Guat City (had to go o some VISA work, do our monthly shopping, and pick her up at the airport) and gave all the kids toothbrushes and paste that she had brought down.   Also, some materials and supplies for the teachers ...allwas much appreciated.  Thanks, Linda!  We will be taking a small group from son Aaron's Greenville school there for the preparation of a longer term helps committment with educational materials, building groups & supplies, as God provides..

For us....still much to do in upkeep/upgrade of our facility, and we have expanded our ancillary ministries to helping a "colegio" (high school) in San Andres.  One of our ESL students is headmaster there.

More real soon.  Hope to be able to post more pictures soon.

Blessing to yhou all.  Thank you for keeping up with us! Niel.

"Good morning, my friends...do you love my Jesu, too?"  These were the radio words of Dr. Michalson as he sarted his daily radio broadcast from Chester, Pa. as I remember as a child.

"Even EVIL exists  to make the Glory of God shine more brightly."  explains John Piper in the message I've downloaded this morning.

God is in control, and uses our life experience for His glory.  My submission to His will...even the ability to do so, has resulted in sevice to Him..that is, to be a pipeline of grace, and I pray daily to remember that purpose.

As part of that service, I cannot attend the local church we have been going to due to responsabilities at LBN.  Thus I listen to preaching on-line..so please forgive my preaching to you! 

Had about twenty folks here, locals of Kachekal Indian heritage, for a Movie Nite, and showed 'Narnia" with which they were fasinated and blessed, but not as much as we were in showing it and giving devotional concerning the picture of Christ's work represented there. BUT...half way through, the bulb burned out!  However, a group here we were hosting had a projector,so we were able to switch out and finish!   Now shopping for a new bulb...and those things are expensive!  Over $250., and unavailable in this country.  Will be shopping on line later...

Tried to listen to Georgia Football on the internet, but for some reason was unable to get connected.  Real dissappointing, but it looks like Mark Richt and the boy were able to gain victory without my

help!

Please pray for our paperwork floating around the Guat Counsulate in Atlanta.  It's, supposively, been in process for a month now, and I'm told we should have gotten some kind of response by now.  Laboring hard at the Spanish as well...and it's no coincidence I mention it in the "pray for" section of this blog...

By the way, Diana and I have been praying for you guys, and all our partners and churches we have visited during our "Partner Raising" earlier this year.  We are praying by name for 1/7th of our partners per day, and also pray thatg you all are lifting us up at least weekly.  Thank you.

More real soon.  So grateful to have the opprtunity to serve here, and encouraged by many affirmations of God's will for us being here!  niel. 

 

Good evening, everyone!  Thought I'd try a new font tonight and catch you guys up on some experiencesGod is giving us.  Preparing for our continuing "Prayer and Coffee with your Hosts" series started four Wednesday mornings ago.  Wednesday morning was the time I'd be at our men's meeting at tohe ol' Cracker Barrel in Athens, a time I truely miss.  (Question...what was the first thing God made?  No...it's not in Genesis: Check Proverbs 8:22)

    Interesting thing last night at our LBN class we have in our local church sanctuary (31 in attendance!)...chickens walked in and started pecking amongstg our attendees.  No, that wasn't the interesting thing...what was interesting was that the occurance did not sem to us to be at all strange and outofthe-ordinary! Thatg's what they mean by becoming acclimated to the culture. 

Pray as we will be leading a "small group" here at our place Friday night, and we're expection 14 or more.  It is another opportunity to further integrate and form relationships to serve better.  Particularly, hoping to  get a men's accountability group soon started.

Been raining  a couple times daily, and we've bee losing electricity a couple times a day.  That means...gasp!...resetting various clocks and electronic appliances.  Talk about roughing it!

We've been reading alot about early missionaries to this area in tghe early 1900's...and we are really humbled by the heritage we try to uphold as missionaries here.  The tasks have changed, but the goal remains firm..."Glorify God in Everything".   niel. 

Hurricane?
Mood:  a-ok

DEAN Who?  .....no, we have not been visited by Dean, though we may get some of the rain.  Actually, it was overcast and intermittently showery today, and more of the same is expected.  We did not, however, that Dean should score a direct hit on Pozo Rico, the town where the crooked cops shook us down.  Hmmmm..!

We finally got our pick-up back.  Nice to have wheels, again.  Will be taking a load of folks from church to the Centennial Camp where our friends are working.  We'll have a service there, then a picnic and games this weekend.  Many folks looking forward to it.  So few get out of town, and then only on a chicken bus.  The level of poverty is high, but these folks are not complainers.  They work hard and make the most of what God has given.  A real lesson for us.  There is a special couple with four kids we are especially trying to help. Noe is the husband/father, and is a real strong belivever in our little church, and I am sure would jump at the chance to take classes at the seminary, but the means just aren't there.  He has been doing the devotional at the end of our ESL classes, the attendance of which remains great!

Full house at the facility this week, and I've been working on water systems.  Electricity been real unstable the last two weeks, and most days we've been down for a couple hours.  During these time I must fire up the ol' generator, which only services the pump motors for the  water.  Struggled thru anothe Spanish lesson today..just need to take more time to memorize..so keep praying!  niel.

I know, I know...just blogged yesterday, but got a sweet return note from my neat neice Jenna, and was encouraged to do one again.   (She has a really cool blog, so if you want to see how its done right, log in..)

  We're realy learning why they call this "Invierno" (Rainy season.)  Got mildew growing between my toes.  It does keep the streets clean, though.  AND, I've been able to run (a whole 1.5 miles) most mornings to keep the ticker in shape and the cholesterol moving around. 

We've begun teaching an ESL class at a local church with really great response.  Almost thirty students, and ove half men!  (Really amazing in this culture.)  Diana really shines as a teacher, and I'm trhying to keep up as a helper.  BUT, my main objective is to form relationships w/ the guys to begin discipleship groups in tghe near future.

More soon..time fordinner!  niel.
 

Good evening, everyone.  Hope you guys are out there, and are just to shy to reply!  Our recent guests left Sunday (Fletcher, Hunter, and Scott) and it was really good to see them.  WSe are still convinced of God's leading Fletcher and Kassie into missions, so we're praying that Fletch would yeild to that same call. (Kassie already has!)  We hope they learned about the country and some of the needs here, but are sorry we could not show them more in that the govt. still has not completed the paperwork to release the Toyota...maybe next week!

Have a group here from Dallas or a short termer, working in some small communities north of Pana.  Was able to lead in devotions with them tonight and provide some insight to the area.  It's always neat to have folks stay here as they bring anticipation and excitement  with them. Of particular blessing, a couple of people they were helping do construction accecpted our Lord as Saviour, and I will try to link these folks up with a good nearby church. It was helpful, as I spent much of the day helping dig a new septic tank we needed.  Should complete it tomarrow, hopefully before our Spanish teacher comes at one.  I'm falling behind on my memorization, and need uplifting prayer to make all these verbs, irregulars, and tenses stick in this old brain.  Diana is doing so well...!

Thanks to all you guys and your committment to us.  We will soon be sending out by snail mail out news/prayer letter, but you have a heads up on us by rfeading this blog!  God bless, everyone!  Til next time,  niel. 

 

Aaron & Ruth Back Home

This is a separate blog written by Aaron & Ruth.

We are back home in South Carolina. The trip to see my parents went very fast. Their ministry there is quite amazing. They definitely have been called by God to actively minister to visiting missionaries and guests through hospitality, encouragement and evangelism. We were blessed to have come. Hopefully many more of you will partner with them and maybe even visit. It is beautiful! Mom and Dad keep it up. God has you exactly where He wants you.

 Love, Aaron & Ruth

Mood:  chillin'

We’ve been gone almost two months now, and I often stop and pray for you guys, our faithful supporters.   I know I’ll be missing Bulldawgs football, so I’ll need your reporting on how they are doing! 

We have instituted several new things here at Las Buenas Nuevas, and have had some excellent feedback from the visitors we serve.  Often have the opportunity right here to witness to individuals in groups who are along for the ride, but don’t know our God.  We are working with the board here toward upgrading some buildings here, and I have also been kept busy with maintenance in the eight buildings on campus.  Glad Ecolab taught me well in this area.  Diana has gotten involved with Sunday School for kids in a poor indigenous church we have been attending.  We have been able to get to Patzun to help with a fledgling church and school taking root !there.  We plan to do more as soon as the pickup is finally legal per all the hoops and funds we have committed.  It certainly would have been easier to buy a vehicle down here, but then we wouldn’t have been able to bring the boxes of stuff for ministry down, nor would we have had the fun experience of driving through Mexico! It was a real interesting and educational trip, and except for one major "shake-down" in one city, it was a positive one. 

Our first real visitors left Wednesday (Mirercules), and it was real good to have Aaron and Ruth here for a week.  Pleanty of room to have other visitors, so check your calenders!    One trip we took was to a rain forest preserve which was fastenating, lush, beautiful, etc.  It’s really worth the trip her just to see it!  It is the “rainy season”, and we have a short shower many evenings.  We have not reached 80 degrees yet here in Panajachel, nor temps under 55, and I expect we won’t. 

On top of our responsibilities, we began our Spanish instruction three weeks ago.  I’m a real slow learner…just glad it’s not Greek!

We just listened to a recent on line sermon by Bob McAndrews, our home church pastor.  It is a real blessing to hear and to keep up with the teaching.  Only wish our Sunday Schol teaching could be recorded and broadcast as well.  Any possibility, Harvey?

There is so much stuff that we take for granted in the U.S. as being able to obain.  I've been tgrying for three weeks to get staples for my stapelgun with no success.  I think Fletcher is bringing me some when he visitgs next week.  Diana frequently tries to substitute stuff when cooking instead of using stuff easily found at Kroger.  It would be so neat to have a Wal Mart and Home Depot nearby!!

We have hosted many interesting people here, and I am trying to keep notes on them and will share some stuff in a future blog.  I pray that we have bee half the blessing to them as they are  to us!

That's it for now.  Maybe later we'll attempt to re-publish photos without loosing everything again!  Thanks again for your prfayers and your patience.  For the Glory of our God,  niel.