Shiloh Team

Last week we had a team visiting from Shiloh Baptist Church in Alabama. It was a great week. Here are some pictures from the week...

We did electrical work and painted a room in a ladies house that a lot of people in the community use.

We built a bathroom.

The middle picture is of Juana with her new bathroom. She was so happy.

And the last picture is the men with the family and their new bathroom.

We helped with a dental clinic.

We did VBS where they taught the kids about God's love, strength and more.

We painted, cleaned, and added new bunk beds to a house.

And they did more.

But even when we werent working they were playing with the kids and talking to them about Jesus. The kids loved everyone :)

We played soccer with the kids with both a real ball and a coconut.

Josh taught the kids to say "Get 'er done." hahaha

The kids loved to play with Scott's hair.

D told a little girl about Jesus and his love for her.

The kids were so sad to see the team leave and so were we. I hope they come back for another trip!

It was a GREAT week! God's love was shining through this whole team all week.

Was God's love shining through you this week?

-Katey :)

Some of these pictures were taken by Amanda House. She is an amazing photographer who took so many beautiful pictures from this week. And the kids loved to look at the pictures she took. (See picture above). Thank you Amanda for the pics.

Doulos (Intermissions 2011)

Last weekend I got to go to the beautiful Lake Atilan for a missionary conference. During the weekend the youth studied Romans 1. I learned the word δοῦλος or doulos. Its Greek and it means bond servant. I want to be a doulos for Christ just like Paul. I want to be completely sold out for the Lord and live every moment of my life for him!

And other than listening to the awesome talks we did some other fun stuff...We got to stay at a gorgeous hotel! Play fun games like the one above where Clay had to be Krister's arms and feed him. And a version of Dogeball with only one ball which provided GREAT pictures!
We also got to meet and hang out with awesome people!

It was an amazing weekend and I am already excited for next year. And I am excited to live my life as a doulos for Christ just like Paul!

Paul, a doulos of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— Romans 1:1

Are you living your life as a doulos for Christ?
-Katey :)

El Faro

First off, sorry for not having blogged in about a month. I have been busy but now I am back!

Last week I had the opportunity to go to the Caribbean coast of Guatemala on a trip. We helped with dental clinics, painting a school, playing with kids, ect. It was a great trip! Here are some pictures from the trip...

The camp we stayed at was called El Faro. It was gorgeous!

We would take trucks out in the morning from El Faro to villages close by. While in the villages we did a lot including...

Painting a school with a team staying at El Faro.

Making braclets and painting nails.

Making balloon animals.

And helping with dental clinics.

The first picture is my mom cleaning dental tools and the second is Jacob (a kid from the team staying at El Faro) helping Dennis while he did dental work. My mom was a dental assistant almost the whole second day and I was a dentist assistant for a patient while the other assistant took a break. I cant wait to help with more dental clinics!

Then in the afternoons once we had returned to El Faro we had free time to swim in the ocean, play soccer, catch starfish, ect...

This is one of the many starfish we caught :) It was so cool, I had never seen a real live starfish before.

It was such an amazing trip and I cant wait to go back to El Faro! And I totally saw God all week whether it was in the beauty of the ocean, the smiles of the kids when we gave them a balloon animal or bracelet, the appreciativeness of the people getting their teeth worked on even if it hurt, or the joy of all the volunteers! I love seeing God EVERYWHERE!

Where have you seen God this week??

-Katey :)

Elsa! (Guest Blogger:Todd Erickson)

My dad wrote an awesome blog so I wanted to share it with you guys. Hope you enjoy it!

On one of our many trips to Santiago Zamora, a small village just 15 minutes from our home, Katey took a quick shot of our new friend Elsa. Elsa lives in a home that Servants 4 Him built last summer and it now includes a water filter and a clean fuel efficient stove. Elsa and her sisters love to spend time with Katey and especially brush and braid her hair. They have become friends.

Soon after that visit, a local magazine advertised for the opportunity to have photos published in their January photo issue. Katey submitted her pic of Elsa and it (along with one from Clay) was highlighted on page 86. Elsa was a bona fide model.

Two weeks ago, Katey had the opportunity to share the January Revue magazine with Elsa. She got to see her very own photo published and the smile that spread across her face was, as the commercial claims, priceless.

Is anyone among you happy, Let them sing songs of praise. James 5:13

(Todd)

Hope you enjoyed it. Here is the picture that I got in the magazine of Elsa...

And here is the awesome picture Clay got in the magazine...

-Katey :)

School Supply Distribution.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

-Proverbs 1:7

This weekend we got the opportunity to give away some of the donated school supplies to kids in the villages. They need to have all their school supplies to be able to attend school. They also need clean clothes and shoes, so we gave out some of the donated clothes and shoes too. We also got to pray for them and their school year. I got to pray for one girl and I prayed for her school year and for her knowledge in the Lord. It was a great day of being able to provide some needs and pray for the kids!

-Katey :)

A Quick Review of the Past 2 Weeks...

I am sorry that I haven't blogged in a little while...I have been busy. And I want to tell you all about it so here is a bunch of pictures and explanations of how I spent my last two weeks :)

On the 22nd of December we went with some friends to Oakland Mall in the city to see the new Narnia movie. It was tons of fun! It was really nice to go see a movie in the theaters and it was such a great movie...so spiritual! And we even got our pictures with Santa :) It was a great day with friends!

And then on Christmas Eve we had dinner at the Forrest and Carols house and then went to the candle light Christmas Eve service put on by our church. It was a good Christmas Eve!

But thats not all, at midnight the sky lit up with fireworks from EVERY direction to celebrate Christmas Day! It was like nothing I had ever seen, heard, or smelt! And its definitely a tradition that I will enjoy (:

Then Christmas morning we had a normal Christmas morning. But then once we opened gifts and ate breakfast, we went to the airport to pick up the Oesterblads!

And with them came more gifts! It was like a second Christmas morning. Thank you so much to everyone who sent stuff down with the Oesterblads! And thank you to everyone who signed my shirt! You guys are AWESOME!!!

(in the picture above I am reading all the signatures on a shirt that a lot of my friends from school and church signed!!)

Then we spent the week with the Oesterblads! It was a great week. We...

Sifted (first picture) and cleaned (second picture) sand for a water filter!

Went to a village where we played with kids and the guys built a new stove for a family.

The second picture is me with two little girls who braided my hair (:

The last picture is the Oesterblad guys with the family that got the new stove!

Went to some ruins in Antigua!

Hiked the volcano Pacaya. And while we were there I talked to our guide from the last time we hiked Pacaya and I gave him a picture of himself that I had taken last time. He loved it and he said that he didnt have a picture of himself. It was so cool!

And we celebrated New Years Eve with food, movies, and of course...Fireworks!! We set off some of our own and then watched them light up the sky at midnight just like Christmas Eve! It's so cool to watch!

So thats how I spent the last two weeks!! It has been a really fun last two weeks. Thanks for reading...sorry for the excessive amount of pictures :)

-Katey!!

Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,

Not a creature was stirring ¡Caramba! ¿Qué pasa?

Los niños were tucked away in their camas,

Some in long underwear, some in pijamas,

While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado,

In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado,

To bring all children, both buenos and malos,

A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Outside in the yard there arose un gran grito,

and I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.

I ran to the window and looked out afuera,

And who in the world do you think that it era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero,

Came dashing along like a loco bombero.

And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,

Were eight little burros approaching volando.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre,

Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:

"Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, at Beto,

Ay Chato, ay Chopo, Maruco, y Nieto!"

Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho,

He flew to the top of our very own techo,

With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,

He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala,

With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,

He filled all the stockings with lively regalos,

None for the niños that had been malos.

Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento,

He turned like a flash and was gone como el viento,

And I heard him exclaim, y ¡esto es verdad!

Merry Christmas to all, ¡y Feliz Navidad!

I do not know the author of this Spanglish version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas but I enjoy it and I hope you do too. FELIZ NAVIDAD!

-Katey :)