Vamos y Hacemos Discipulos! (Lets go and make Disciples!)

My parents before they left Canilla in the Cessna.

This morning as I write, the morning sky is dark and the room filled with the unusual sound of pounding rain that is roaring down the roof and spilling off the gutters. This rain is a welcome change to the dry weather over the last several months. With signs of changing weather this week it is a reminder that our time here in Guatemala is nearing the end.

The last several weeks have been filled with more visitors. Our most exciting visitors were my parents. It was their first time here, and it was great for them to see what God has been doing in Canilla. It was also especially refreshing for Shea and I, along with our kids, to have family here. My parent's steadfast encouragement, leadership, and support have been a huge blessing not just this week, but over the years. It was a great visit and we were lucky they were able to come.

Our Spanish worship night.

This week we also had 3 more visitors from Iowa who were here helping out with the agricultural side of the ministry. It was great getting to know the Bjelica family and see them use their gifts for the Lord. They were able served widows in this area through a goat project.

There were also 8 pre-medical students from ACU (Abilene Christian University), Shea and I's alma mater. It has been fun to see these clinics and hospital through their eyes. It was the first of such trip for most of them. Much like Shea and I's first visit to Guatemala as pre-med students 17 years ago the significant cultural, and language barriers along with harsh reality of poverty were evident on their faces. I have high hopes that many of their lives will be positively impacted by this short trip, as Shea and I were impacted at that same stage in our lives.

One of the highpoints of the week for me was having the opportunity to preach a short sermon at our Spanish worship service. This is a group that has been led by Dr Luis Aquino for the last several years. We have a mixture of our Guatemalan construction crew and families, with our hospital nurses and staff, and even some patients from the community. Over the last 2 years, they spend one night a week worshiping together usually followed by Luis giving a short message. He has intentionally spent the last year focusing on the simplicity of the Gospel and the power of the blood of Christ.

I was privileged to talk with them about my greatest passion. Our obedience to Christ's Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 states: "Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"

These last spoken words of Christ are simple, powerful, and challenging. He saved his most important teaching for his last moments on earth. For those of us who have accepted Christ our job is now to make disciples! Wherever you live in the world, or whatever career you have, there are people in your sphere of influence. Our job is simply to leverage these relationships for the Kingdom of God. Whether construction worker, teacher, lawyer, accountant, nurse, or stay at home mom, everyone of us has people we come into contact with that need to know the simple truth of God's love and Christ's sacrifice.

Making disciples does not require some deep theological understanding or years of biblical training. It simply requires you to build relationships, and through those relationships you tell your story of where God has taken you, and where He is taking you now.

This is the reason we are building Hospital Adonai. This is the reason Shea and I practice medicine both in the United States and Guatemala. Join us on this grand adventure.

Lets go and make disciples! Vamos y Hacemos Discipulos!

My mom and the kids enjoying one of their

many games.

My dad and the boys on a hike.

The sunset view over Canilla

Kiera is getting some "Nanna" time.

Kiera was trying to stow away on Nanna and Grandpa's plane.

We're Thankful in Canilla!

My girls found a stray puppy....but no we didn't keep him.

2 Volcanoes at sunrise at Lake Atitlan

The familiar sounds of the rock crusher chewing up large stones and spitting out smaller ones is quickly being replaced by the sounds of wood saws carefully cutting and shaping warped raw wood into sturdy cabinets. We have continued to transition from concrete pours and block lay to finish work with the hospital nearing completion. As the construction nears completion with every passing day, the administrative checklist seems to grow. Our medical team here and in the US continue to feel the pressure of addressing many questions..... where there seems to be no obvious answers.

This week Shea and I were fortunate to take a trip to another mission hospital 4 hours away near Lake Atitlan. This particular hospital is about 10 years further along in this process then we are currently. Meeting with them was incredibly enlightening, as we think about next steps. The only unfortunate repercussion of this visit is it adds to the list of things that need to be accomplished before we reach our goal of being a fully operational hospital. Our list includes a plethora of equipment, medications, and hospital personnel needs, not to mention the cash to pay for all of it.

Our North American mentality (rightly or wrongly), says that we need to push hard, and fast to accomplish our goals. Through this project, we have learned that waiting on the Lord's timing is of most importance. It's important to have a plan, and work towards it, but without God's timing the road is often more difficult. In the midst of waiting, its easy to become to discouraged by insurmountable needs and answerless questions.

I have found it important on this project specifically, and in life in general, that as we wait for clear answers from God it is always important to have an attitude of thankfulness, and gratefulness for what God has already done. It's not that God needs the praise, but it's we who need the reminders. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"

Our List (although not exhaustive) of things to be thankful for this year for Hospital Adonai include:

1. The recent hiring of our first 4 official hospital nurses.

2. Several new workers hired for hospital cleaning, grounds management, and a new cook.

3. The hiring of a hospital secretary

4. A functioning C-arm, and numerous donated and well functioning hospital beds

5. 2 older sets of OR lights that are working great

6. 2 anesthesia machines

7. 2 small autoclaves

8. An X-ray machine still in the crates, but hopefully functional

9. 1 new lab machine to help with our chemistry panels

10. One of our employees who has recently finished basic lab tech training

11. Four 40ft containers filled with medical and construction equipment, and one on the way

12. The successful move of clinics to the hospital building

13. Several successful hospital admissions and 3 new babies born in our hospital.

God is Good!

Reid and Kiera laying in our ER beds

Our lab room....keeping the dust off.

Our observation room

Our delivery room

One of our cribs in the pediatric room.

Our HVAC system for our Operating rooms

Our backup generator next to one of the guest houses.

Four 40ft containers still half filled with equipment

Our courtyard.....grass is finally growing

Our kitchen and some staff enjoying a snack break.

Our first surgical patient ...ready to go

Our nearly completed 2nd story over the OR