I think I can I think I can I think I can - April 7th

We have had another great day. This morning we climbed into our vehicles and travelled to Chacalte to visit the village pastor. The roads to the village were steep, narrow and full of curves. Some areas of the road have been washed out from recent rains and large potholes and trenches are in the road. All of these roads need to be fixed by hand by the men of the local villages. In Chacalte we met a former village pastor and a current village pastor. They were happy to have visitors from Canada. They welcomed us to their homes and shared the story of their growing church. The church started with 5 believers and now has 45. As such they are in need of a new building. We were amazed to hear that the entire project could be completed with $2000 Canadian dollars. This amount to us is so reachable, yet for the people of Chacalte, they need God's provision as they really have little means. They are a hard working people who live off the land; therefore they don't have any means to earn money needed to purchase building supplies. After the home visit, they took us to their little church. We filled the room with our team and the few villagers who had gathered to see the Canadians.

Some of our team had a chance to climb their prayer mountain . The Guatemalan people pray so fervently. All team members have been both blessed and humbled to see the people be so grateful for the little they have. The pastor shared that the Chacalte church prays for Canada every Wednesday. We now know the hearts and needs of these people and know that when we return to Canada we will be praying for our brothers and sisters in Chacalte.

In the afternoon, we went to the hospital in Coban. It is the public hospital where the impoverished turn as a last resort. Many come too late to have medical intervention and as a result the hospital is seen as a place of death rather than a place of healing. The team had a chance to pray for each child and family in the pediatric ward. They were even able to give each child a small stuffed animal. Though we don't speak their language, the people and children were grateful not for the gift, but what the gift represented - our presence. After the pediatrics ward, we visitted the mother/baby unit and gave each family a layette. For most of us, the most difficult part of the day was being in the nursery and holding the abandoned babies. It is heart breaking to hold a one day unnamed child who has been left in the grass the night before. We have been challenged though to understand what must be in the hearts of the people who feel their child would be better cared for by someone other than themselves. We have also been humbled to think of how much we have taken for granted.

After the hospital visit we enjoyed local icecream and returned for supper and a quiet evening of debriefing and journalling. The team shared their hearts and the impact that the day had on them. The thoughts included about the day are little glimpses of what they shared. We hope you will join us for our sharing night as we have so much more to tell.

Thank you for continuing to pray. Please pray for the people we prayed for in the hospital. Many miracles have happened after team visits. Pray that the Great Physician ministers to these children's bodies and these family's hearts. Pray that the great work God has begun in the hearts of our team continues to pull at us, to bring us to truly understand Christ's heart for people. Pray for each team member who is being both challenged and encouraged through our daily experiences.