FBC Biloxi Student Ministry

A unbelievable last day

2010-07-16T23:43:00.011-05:00

Today was really a dreamcome true for me. I shared with the students tonight that when we left Guatemala last year on the plane ride home I left with the challenge to do more for this country. We left last year having built houses for people that desperately needed them and we left having fed thousands of people with rice and beans. I knew the beans and rice would soon be all eaten and the house we build would one year rust and fall apart. I sensed God calling us to something that would leave a longer impact on more people. While atPassion this year I was introduced to Living Water. They build wells for people that do not have clean water. That was something I sensed God calling me to lead our Student Ministry to do. Long story short The students and adults involved in Student Ministry were challenged and they met the challenge and fully funded a well here in Guatemala. The total cost of the Project was $5,000 the money was collected in less than 5 months. Today we drove to see the village of 250 people and the well they now have. A big thanks to the support of people that saw a needand met it. ( See below for the detailed report.)

Words cannot express how I feel ton

ight. It truly was awesome to see children today drinking water that is pure. This water will not make them sick and they will have a better opportunity to survive so they can learn about a God that loves them and wants to have a relationship with them.

Thank you to all the people that have given to support this effort. I wish everyone of you could have been th

ere today to see the well. We have lots of photos and will be s

haring them all soon.

We all placed our hands on the well today and all prayed for the well and the village it will impact. We prayed that they will come to know a God that has provided living water that can meet their physical and spiritual needs.

God has really used students this week to impact the lives of people that need to know of his love. That is amazing!

COUNTRY OVERVIEW SUPPORTING DATA

Guatemala struggles with revitalization after enduring 36 years of civil war. Social services country-

wide strive to obtain pre-war levels while over half the population survives below the poverty line.

According to a recent UNDP Human Development Index report, Guatemala is ranked 118th out of 177

countries. Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America and survives among the 10

poorest countries in Latin America, according to UNICEF. Over half a million Guatemalans lack

access to clean drinking water and an estimated two million are without adequate sanitation facilities.

Decades of Civil War have forced many Guatemalans to reside outside their country. The distribution

of income remains highly unequal with approximately 7.1 million of the population below the poverty

line and just over 400,000

unemployed. An estimated 30 percent of the population is illiterate, leaving

Guatemala with the lowest literacy rate in Central America.1 Guatemala’s location on the Caribbean

Sea and Pacific Ocean leaves the country susceptible to hurricanes, significant flooding and

mudslides.1 The nation also suffers from frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity making efforts to

restore the war-stricken country near impossible.

The most serious issue hindering social development is health. Surviving in Guatemala are 75,000

children severely malnourished as a consequence of chronic poverty and drought.1 According to a

recent UNICEF report, infant mortality accounts for 40 per 1,000 live births and is double in isolated

rural indigenous areas, while maternal mortality is 89 per 100,000 live births nationally. Education

enrollment is declining steadily while districts suffer from school absenteeism and retention as drop-

out rates increase. According to UNICEF, five out of 10 students entering primary school in urban

areas complete primary school as opposed to only two out of 10 in rural areas. Considering 60

percent of the school age population resides in rural areas, this situation has become critical.

Utilization of contaminated water sources such as swamps, lakes, and open hand-dug wells have

weakened the nation. Water and sanitation-related disease, particularly diarrhea, are major causes of

death in many areas, particularly for children under the age of five. It is estimated that 80 percent of

the illnesses in Guatemala are water-related. Clearly an urgent need to develop safe water supplies

and basic sanitation for Guatemalans is paramount to the country’s survival.

Population: 12.7 million Population younger than 15: 40% Urban population: 48% Birth rate: 2.9%

Death rate: .5% Under-5 deaths: 4.5% Infant mortality (deaths per 1000 live births): 30 (compared to 7 in th

ECLA, Guatemala, 2007 Inter-American Development Bank, Natural Disasters, 2007 UNICEF, Guatemala, 2007

Project Report Submitted to: First Baptist Biloxi

People Served: 250

Project Report Submitted by: Living Water International

DONOR REPORT CONTACT

Chris Winter, Director- Director- Southeast Region Living Water International · P.O. Box 35496 · Houston, TX · 77235-5496 1.877.594.4426 · www.water.cc

GENERAL INFORMATION

The community of Linea B-2 is located in the Cuyotenango region and Schitepequez district of

Guatemala. The team thought that the community was so united and powerful. Most people in the

community earn a living through farming and fishing. Their previous water source was from an open well about one kilometer away. Drinking water from this well would cause dysentery in the community. The community helped out the LWI with the water project by providing materials, food, labor and security. When the well was complete, the community established a point person to be the caretaker of the well.

Testimony from a community member: Guillermo Sac, 48 year old farmer spoke with the team. “The old well was very contaminated. Many of our kids were getting sick. We knew of Living Water and had talked with other villages that received a well so we know how beneficial the clean water is to the people. Now with this well, our children and grandchildren will not get sick anymore. We are very happy, and we know that God has answered our prayers. Thank you, Living Water, for the project and thank you to the gringos that came to give us this well.

HYGIENE TEACHING

The community was so humble, kind and thankful about the project in their community. The hygiene classes went so well. The children paid attention and answered the questions well. They were excited everyday and ready to hear the lessons. Their teachers already taught them the importance of good hygiene. The ladies were so thankful for the classes and they shared some comments about the lessons. The teachers try really hard to get medicine.

Day 4

2010-07-15T08:52:00.003-05:00

Day 4 (Wednesday)

Today was a great day in Guatemala. Today we divided up and made three groups. We had two construction groups and one school group. We started out with a great breakfast and headed out for out day.

The original construction site worked to finish replacing their roof and porch. We also worked to rewire their house. The team worked very hard to complete the tasks. At the end of the day there was just a little more to finish on the roof tomorrow. However, the electricity was complete. it was amazing to watch them pull the chain on the lights and see them come on. Their faces were full of smiles when the lights came on. Previously they had to twist the bulb to make the light come on and wires were exposed. It really was a great day at worksite #1.

At the school students continued to play with the children. Each day we have worked with two different grades yesterday they worked with second and fourth graders. The school serves grades K-Sixth which is about 300 students. Yesterday they made cross necklaces. Each day they sing and play and share the love of Jesus. It may be hard for them to use words to explain how they feel. Their smiles are amazing and their eyes show their excitement and love. It was also a great day at at the school.

We started a new work project today. Upon arrival they found a corn field and began to clear the area where a new home was to be built. They also found spiders. I will let them share all the details because some of you may stop reading at the mention of spiders. They got off to a great start and will continue tomorrow and start the foundation. It was a great day at worksite #2.

Students continue to serve with every ounce they have. You would be proud of their attitudes and commitment. Pray as they continue tomorrow on the final work day. Pray that they will finish strong and work safe. Pray they will continue to soak up the experience and learn from their surroundings. Pray as we continue to show the love of God with the people the last day. Pray we may leave a lasting impact on on them.

Thanks for your continued support and your prayers for everyone.

-Jason

Day 3 Guatemala

2010-07-13T21:59:00.002-05:00

Today was another great day in Guatemala.

The work site completed the roof and will complete the porch on the house tomorrow. We are also going to rewire their house. Now when I say rewire don't think wow. Rewire here is almost like running new extension cords and plugging in a light. It is really simple here. We will add another work site tomorrow with another roof job.

The students also worked at the school today and shared the plan of salvation. They also had another opportunity to may home visits. Today they visited four homes. One of the homes had an eight day old baby. I would tell you his name but he does not have one yet. It was amazing to be able to serve a family with so many needs.

You would be so proud of your student and adults and how willing they are to serve. They go the extra mile every opportunity they have.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of the team. Thanks for your blog comments...

Were off to bed.

-Jason

Day 2 Guatemala

2010-07-12T22:45:00.001-05:00

Today (Monday) started with a great breakfast after a great nights sleep. We had our quite time and headed off to our projects for the day.

Half our group headed to the school. There they played with the students and really had great opportunities to show them lots of love. It was really amazing to see the smiles on their faces as they played. We also made a necklace that makes a cross. We decided to make these so we could have the opportunity to show them that God sent Jesus to die for them. Tomorrow we will make a bracelet that explains the plan of salvation to them. They also were able to make home visits to take much needed food and supplies to families. They had the opportunity to see first hand the physical needs of the average person in Guatemala.

At the work site the team put in a hard days work. We arrived to find a home that has a very leaky tin roof. The team started by taking of the whole patio area. Then they took of half of the roof that covers their living area. We wanted to make sure we were able to put back what we took off. It is the rainy season here so there is a good chance of rain every day. We were able to complete the half we took off. It started to rain on our trip home. There is a great feeling inside you to know that a job you did today provided shelter for a family that didn’t have that yesterday. We will go back tomorrow and work to complete the other half of the roof.

This afternoon we had sometime to visit the markets and find those great deals that exist in Antigua. It really is an experience all should have at least once. Today was more of a scouting day for the deals to be had later in the week.

Pray today for continued safety. Pray as students work on the work site and each do their best to complete the task. Pray for the students working with the children at the school as they share the plan of salvation.

Here we are Guatemala Twenty10

2010-07-12T20:26:00.001-05:00

Sunday Day 1

Today was a travel day. We started out in the Gulfport Airport at 4:30am. Once we all got through the line and past security we loaded the plane. Only 23 minutes late for take off. Gotta love airport computers. We arrived in Houston and changed planes to Guatemala City. We made it safe and sound here just before noon.

Our team here from Mission Discovery was waiting for us just outside the airport. The short trip to Antigua was a smooth ride. The view here is amazing like always. Flying in on the plane you can see all the green farmland and coffee plantations.

Our hotel here in Antigua is Los Bucaros. It is a open air hotel, which of course means no A/C. Don’t let the no A/C part fool you. The temp her yesterday was in the low 70’s and the temp last night was in the low 60’s. We all found our rooms here to be nice and comfortable for missionary living. There is a nice courtyard in the middle with beautiful plants. We had an amazing diner. The menu was Steak, some awesome zucchini, a green salad and rice.

We concluded our evening with a worship time and share time with Rebecca missionary we will be working in. Her and her husband Andrew have been working in Guatemala 11 years. She really shard some great stories of how they have had opportunities to do some great work here. It was awesome to hear the voices praising God last night. Our voices filled the streets of Antigua with praises to God.

Tomorrow we will be working at the school here that has about 300 children. We will also be working on a construction project consisting of replacing a roof.

Continue to pray for our safety. Pay as we work with the children at the school and at the work site that we can show them the love of Christ. Pray for opportunities to share with them. Pray for Rebecca and Andrew the missionaries here. Thank you for your prayers.

Jason

Day 4

2010-06-06T01:01:00.001-05:00

Saturday in Texas can be best described as…. the day some children here came to Know Jesus!

It was a great day. Today lives were changed today and others were encouraged to continue in their faith. During BBC today the focus was salvation. Students had the opportunity to share clearly the message of how Christ came to give us Victory from our sins. Many students we able to share this message for the first time all on their own. It is always hard to count actual decisions but today we know lives were changed and many seeds were planted in the lives of the children here.

After BBC we rehearsed for tomorrow’s worship service. We will be singing in the worship service at Birdville Baptist tomorrow. Pray for us tomorrow as we lead in worship. Pray also as Wesleigh Taylor shares tomorrow how Christ has changed her life. She will share that with the congregation at Birdville in worship tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a great day.

We spent the afternoon playing at Sixflags. It was great just to be able to have the afternoon off and have some fun on the roller coasters. Yes it was hot but it was so fun.

Please pray for the items mentioned above. Also pray for the children that went home today with a new knowledge of how God loves them. Pray for their families. It has been proven time and time again that when children come to know Christ often their whole family does. Pray that will be the case in this community. Pray for our afternoon tomorrow as we have a block party to kick off VBS for Birdville Baptist. Pray for some rest.

Thanks again for all your payers and support. We will be praying for you as you worship tomorrow!

-Jason

Day 3

2010-06-04T23:57:00.002-05:00

How was Friday in Texas one word.. HOT!

The cooler weather we had yesterday was gone today. However, that did not slow us down from serving the people here. We spent the morning sharing with the children at BBC and shared the Good News from scripture about how Christ paid the price for our sin on the cross and had victory over the grave. The message was clearly presented by students this morning as they made cross a cross necklace that went along with the Bible Study. I already have heard some great stories of how students had great discussions with the children today. Once again you should be proud of them.

After BBC we headed on over to once again hang out with the Sr. Adult home. We spent time in fellowship with them and actually shared a snack with them, pop corn and coke. It was the highlight of our day and theirs. I wish you could see the smile on the Sr. Adults faces and on the faces of the students. It really is a neat site to see them sharing and laughing together. We also spent some time singing with them.

We also spent some time walking through the neighborhoods passing our information about VBS next week at Birdville Baptist. Their VBS starts on Monday. They have already received calls from the information we passed out today. God is already working.

Tomorrow is a very important day for us in BBC. We will be clearly presenting the Gospel tomorrow. Please pray for this day. Pray that students will continue tomorrow with confidence and be able to share clearly tomorrow. Pray for lives to be changed tomorrow. Pray the Holy Spirit will work in their lives even now.

Thank you for your prayers please continue to pray!

Time for some rest tonight….

-Jason

Day 2

2010-06-04T01:59:00.001-05:00

What a great first full day here in Texas….

We started the day here with Back Yard Bible Clubs (BBC). This is a time where FBC students teach children the Bible. Today’s lesson was on how God created the earth and man/ woman. Today was a first for many students. It was the first time some had ever led a Bible Study. That was a big step for so many and they all did a great job. I am so proud of how they served today, as I know you are.

During the afternoon we handed out 1,200 door hangers in a neighborhood near the church. The door hangers shared a message of how the church was praying for them and invited them to contact the church for any prayer needs that they might have. It is a great way for the church to make contact with the people in their community.

We also visited a Sr. Citizen home. Students brought smiles to the faces of the Sr. Adults today in the room. It was really a neat to see the younger generation connecting with the older generation. They really took the time to sit down and talk to with them and share the love God has for them. We sang a few songs with them and ended our time together.

You would be so happy to see how students and adults doing so much to serve God this week. It really has been encouraging to see them play with the children at BBC. I wish you could hear the laughter coming from children that really need someone to show them they are cared for.

Tomorrow we will be involved in the same activities as today. Your prayers were answered today the heat was not as bad. Tomorrow students with share the message of what Christ did for us on the cross and how he had victory over the grave. Pray as they lead tomorrow, that they may lead with confidence. Pray that children will show up and be willing to participate in Bible Study tomorrow. Thanks again for all your prayers and support!

-Jason

Day 1

2010-06-03T08:34:00.001-05:00

Today was a great day to the beginning of Mission Tour Twenty10. We started off the day at 4am with a long bus ride ahead of us. Some were so excited about the bus ride they stayed up all night just so they would not be late. Some would call that crazy others would call it weird. I call it dedication.

We all loaded the buses and the wheels started rolling towards Texas. We stopped of in Jackson for some Christian Chicken from Chic-fil-A. Took a break at a rest stop at the state line and rolled through the state of LA. Stopped in Shreveport for lunch and were once again on our way.

We made it to our host church Birdville Baptist **hyperlink**(www.birdvillebaptist.org) here in Texas just in time for dinner. They are already begun treating us to some Texas hospitality. We had Taco salad for dinner with some great homemade salsa. I say bring on the Texas food!!! We concluded our night with a great time of worship with the Student Ministry form Birdville. It is great to join with other students and know we worship such a great God.

Tomorrow we will start the day with Back Yard Bible Clubs (BBC). Students will be sharing the story of creation. They will also be sharing the love of Jesus with the children here. We will also visit with a Sr. Adult home tomorrow afternoon.

How can you pray? Please pray for students as they lead BBC and share with the students. Pray for a good nights rest. Pray for the heat to not be a burden. Pray for safety. Pray for opportunities to transform lives with the message of Jesus’ love. Pray for children to come to BBC.

Thank you for praying for us and join us on this journey. We will keep you updated through this blog and twitter.

Off to get some sleep….