Pastors on the air!!

Wow, it was a blessing to see three pastors share the word of God in Maya over the radio! Pastors Alberto Teck, Bernaldino Cal and Honoratus Choc all volunteered to help present the Bible Studies that TEAM Toledo had been working on translating. This was done on a local Christian radio station which covers most all of the Toledo District. It was a blessing and encouragement to me to see that there were lots of Mayan people that were listening to the Word and that our Bible study program was a blessing to them.

I (Clifford) was supposed to do the Maya Program last Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, but on Saturday, due to the heavy rainfall caused by tropical storm Alex, we were unable to do it that day. However, it was a blessing to the pastors who volunteered themselves to present the Word of God in a study group format. I received calls while we were there encouraging us that the listeners were happy that our Maya program could be on air! We discussed about the Test of Faith that God did to Abraham, the friend of God.

Please pray that this opportunity we had would be a blessing to the radio station and the radio listeners. Pray for the staff of the radio station and continuous provision for the radio station and the Maya program. This was a special opportunity during a week of fund-raising at the station, but we would like to continue to provide Maya programs based on our Bible studies of the station. Please pray for provision for our needs in order to do that, and the Lord’s leading.

Two Countries - Lots of special people :)

As you know, I am currently Stateside. I was thinking this morning of special people from Belize and here. I am blessed with wonderful family and friends!!! God is good to me! I thought I would post a couple pictures, taken with just a few days of each other. They certainly don't have all the special people in them, but a glimpse of a few!!

Some sweet kids... I miss spending every Sunday night with them and their parents! This is at the airport when I was leaving. Randall, the one in the blue shirt loves asking why... and he loves going with me on the weekends, because I teach Bible study in the village were his grandparents live. One Sunday night, as we were leaving San Jose and headed back to town where his parents live, Randall started asking me about the moon. He wanted to know why the sun goes away (he is scared of the dark, and was clinging to my hand as we slid down a muddy trail and across the creek to the pickup). I told him that God does that so we can sleep in the dark and so we can see the beautiful moon. He was still thinking about the moon as we bounced down the road in the pickup, and after a few "why" questions, began wondering how the moon got up in the sky. "Reb, how did God put the moon up there?" I proceeded to him that God told the moon to go there and it obeyed. "But, Reb, how He put it there?" I tried to explain, but I must not have been getting the message through..."Reb, did He have to stand on a chair to get it up there?" Ahh.... kids are so cute! I am blessed to have these two in my life! Keithon doesn't ask questions yet, but he does enjoy swinging in the hammock with his godmother (that's me), and sharing his M&M's with her! :)

Just a few days after my return Stateside we celebrated my youngest sister's birthday. Almost all my siblings were there (just missing one brother), so we had to have a sister picture! We had fun, and no one toppled the tower :) I am blessed with sweet sisters!

Anyway, just a taste of special people in my life from both countries!

T.E.A.M. International operations

I am writing this time from the United States. We successfully moved the office to San Jose, where Clifford will be running things for the next few months. Thankfully everything is going well so far, we even have the satellite internet set up there! A major concern is the power source, as there is only solar power there, and we do not have a big enough bank of batteries to keep it running much, especially as rainy season minimizes the available solar hours! Please pray with us about this situation!

As a result of our meetings with the Agriculture Department, the pastors have been provided with some plants that can be used as a supplement to their pig feeding program. Clifford has been busy picking up and distributing those.

We are trying to keep coordinated on projects while I am away, needing to continue to progress with Bible study translation, as well as working actively on the pig processing facility progress. We would appreciate your prayers for knowledge and wisdom in finding the correct steps to take, obtaining the right information, and especially for funding for the project as well as day to day operations.

Please pray especially for Clifford as he continues things on that end, for his health, for the pickup to run well, and for provision for his needs.

God is good, and we praise His name for all that He is doing!

The count-down

Greetings everyone! The crazy days are well under way as I prepare to leave for the States. I will be gone for a while this time, so it requires a more lengthy exit plan... including moving the office!

The last few days have been busy with other projects, but today is moving day. The satellite dish will come down shortly and be moved to the temporary office where it will be used while I am away.

Please pray that all the details would come together, that the re-installation of the satellite connection would go well, and that my last couple days would be blessed with peace and not hecticness (is that a word???)!!!

Busy days update

Greetings once again! The weather has cooled off some, comparatively speaking. It is still hot, but not quite so extreme, and we are grateful! In fact, this morning we are getting some nice rain! Of course, we were hoping for dry weather for the agenda of the day, but who can argue with God's plans?

Time is of the essence these days as we rush to get as much accomplished as we can before I leave for the States on the 24th of May (next week... yikes!!). We have had some good progress with the pig project, including a meeting with the pastors and the agriculture department, interesting contacts to help with the processing plant, and various land possibilities. We also got around to see most everyone's pigs. That was encouraging, some of them are doing really well! I am confident that it will all come together in God's time and way, it is certainly too big for me!

Bible studies continue and I will miss them so much when I am gone! There is a special delight sharing the discoveries of people finding certain things in the Scripture for their first time!

Please pray for Clifford's dad. He had surgery this past Wednesday for a condition that has been troubling him for 13 years now. Please pray for a quick recovery and complete healing.

One of the other pastors, Bro. Benito Canti, needs prayer for his wife. She has been sick for some time, and is struggling to recover from a broken wrist. Please lift her up in your prayers!

Off to the village for Bible study!

It is Saturday already! Time seems to just fly by so quickly! Weather here continues to be very hot (right now at 10:20 in the morning we already have a heat index of 99). We had some heavy rains this week, so that was a great blessing!

We are headed out shortly to have Bible study in Pueblo Viejo, after we take a detour to Punta Gorda to print the lessons. Our printer gave out, so we have to pay for the printing in PG for now. Today we will be studying the promise of a redeemer that was given clear back in Genesis, as well as taking a look at Cain and Abel. Please be in prayer for open hearts and willing minds this afternoon, as well as safety in travels!

Tomorrow afternoon we will have Bible study in San Jose, where we will continue our fascinating discussion of Abraham. We have been having some really good interaction in these studies! Last week we moved the studies out of the church and into homes. This week it will be in the home of a precious lady whose husband is not a believer. We pray for his salvation often! Perhaps the study in his home will somehow touch his heart. Will you join us in prayer for Miquela's husband this weekend?

Well, I better get ready to go... May your weekend be blessed!

God's Blessings

My last post mentioned me coming home on the bus having left the pickup at the mechanic. I am happy to report that fixing the alternator issue only cost $44.44 (22.22 US)! We were very thankful! There are a few more issues... but we will get to them in time!

Also last week one of my very dear friends and her baby were in a taxi going to see the doctor when another car ran through a stop sign and into the taxi! Although it could have been a very bad situation, God mercifully spared their lives and protected them from injury. The taxi driver had told her she could ride in the front, but she opted for the back seat... the impact caused the baby to fly forward, and she caught him by his feet. If she had been in the front, he might have gone through the windshield. People don't often where seat belts in the small town of Punta Gorda, but the driver had asked her to put on hers. God was so good to look out for them!

Last week was a pastor seminar here at the Center. We are thankful that Ray Neu is giving of his time to teach the pastors month after month!

Bible studies continue to go well. Saturday's class in Pueblo Viejo was titled "Blaming and Cursing." It told of Adam and Eve's failure to take responsibility for their own sin, but blaming it on others. It also spoke of the consequences God gave to the serpent, Adam, and Eve for their actions. This lesson is one of Clifford's favorites, and he did an excellent job teaching. He is such a gifted teacher with a passion for what he is teaching. It is always neat to see the people responding to his enthusiasm.

Sunday's Bible study was great as well. It was temporarily disrupted by a rainforest thunderstorm, but we didn't mind... it has been soooo hot and dry!

We have been having heat indexes of 104 - 118 during the day (both inside and out). Maybe having my handy digital thermometer that reads temp and humidity is not such a good thing... there was a heat index of 100.8 by my bed when I went to sleep last night, and it had cooled way down to an index of 92 when I got up at 5:00 this morning!!!! Wow! Have I ever told you that I wanted to be a missionary in Russia... and that I love cold weather???? Ah, God has a sense of humor, and I am so blessed to be where I am, heat and all.

Remember the pastors' pigs? Well, one of our biggest side projects (Bible studies are still number one) is working toward the development of a meat packing facility to provide a market for their pigs. We have been doing some research and talking to people about it lately, and everything has been positive so far. People are definitely excited about the possibility, as there is virtually no industry down in this part of the country. Local government officials are encouraging us to pursue it. It is becoming increasingly difficult for pastors and anyone else to stay at home and live off their farms as the cost of living skyrockets. If pastors have to go out and work for two weeks at a time, where will the church be? Please pray for this project, that the Lord would guide and direct us, as well as make the necessary provision for this undertaking.