Many of you have heard about and given graciously to our new water filtration system. Thanks to you, many families in the village of La Reina are now provided with pure water - water that will strengthen the health of the entire family! Here are some photos of the process.

Dulce's Recovery!

Yesterday, Dulce returned to the orphanage after spending the night in the hospital.  Her surgery went well on Thursday, and now she is recovering with her blue hip spica cast.  Please continue to keep Dulce in your prayers as the cast is quite uncomfortable and she is not able to move around as she normally does.  Also, continue to pray for the Open Doors Orphanage staff as they care for Dulce and the other six children during this recovery period.  Hopefully it will be a speedy process for all!

Roaring Like a Lion!

The past few days, I have thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with and getting to know Katie, one of Paraidse Bound's 2012 interns.  We have decided that this song, God's Not Dead (Like A Lion) by the Newsboys, is going to be our theme song for this summer.  Enjoy the lyrics below!

God's Not Dead (Like A Lion)

Let love explode and bring the dead to life

A love so bold to see a revolution somehow

Let love explode and bring the dead to life

A love so bold to see a revolution somehow

Now I'm lost in your freedom

In this world I'll overcome

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring

Let hope arise and make the darkness hide

My faith is dead, I need resurrection somehow

Now I'm lost in your freedom

In this world I'll overcome

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring

Let heaven roar and fire fall

Come shake the ground with the sounds of revival

Let heaven roar and fire fall

Come shake the ground with the sounds of revival

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

He's roaring, He's roaring, He's roaring like a lion

He's roaring, He's roaring, He's roaring like a lion

Prayers for Dulce

Please join us on Thursday, May 31, as we pray for Dulce Maria, one of the seven precious children that call Open Doors Orphanage their home.  Early in the morning, 6-month old Dulce will be heading to a hospital in Antigua to under-go surgery for her severe hip dysplasia.  An American doctor will first perform a closed reduction procedure, which will allow her hips to abduct normally.  After that, Dulce will be placed in a hip spica cast.  The casts will be changed every 6 weeks for 3-6 months in order to provide her hips with the support they need following the surgery.  Once her hips begin to regain strength, Dulce will be weaned down to a hip brace that she will wear until her hips return to normal!  This whole treatment process could take up to a year.  Therefore, please continue to keep Dulce and the Open Doors staff in your prayers...not only tomorrow, but in the weeks and months to come as they trek down the vigorous road that lies before them! 

Saqueo is a 17-year-old young man who first came to our clinic last summer with large growths on both his cheek and arm.  Ten years ago, pustules formed in both locations and began weeping pus and growing slowly over time.  He had a biopsy conducted, and the results indicated that the growths were not tumors!  Praise God!  However, he became quite discouraged (even to the point of wanting to take his own life) when he was told by various doctors and dermatologists that nothing could be done for him here in Guatemala and that he would have to live with the daunting appearance of the growths for the rest of his life.  Despite the odds, we were able to encourage Saqueo to attend one last appointment with another specialist before the year 2011 drew to a close.  That specialist scheduled and performed a successful surgery, and now Saqueo is self-confident young man who fully believes in the healing power of our Lord and Savior!  Below are the before and after photos of Saqueo's treatment process.

Discipleship Update

God is doing wonderful things in and among the Guatemalan people as a result of our Timothy Leadership Training Program!  Roughly a week ago, various individuals were baptized in the village of La Bendicion!  Two of these individuals are students in our lay pastor training program, and various others are the family members of another lay pastor who is part of the program.  The topic of "Christian Stewardship" that was taught at the last seminary inspired this pastor to reach out to his family as a first step in ministering to his church and then to his entire community.  God is also tearing down walls and breaking down barriers in this remote, coastal village!  The separation that once existed between the various churches in La Bendicion is no longer as the pastors there are uniting together to make a difference for HIS kingdom!  As years of strict Mayan tradition and other numerous obstacles continue to fall away, we our confident that truth will prevail and Christ will be victorious!

In addition to the wonderful blessings that are occurring in the coastal region of Guatemala, God's power is also moving in the highlands!  The small village of Chuaqenum has one lone representative at our lay pastor training conferences.  Although a small and humble man, Isidro can preach with power in both Spanish and Cakchiquel when given a microphone.  In hopes of one day being the pastor of a small church in his village, Isidro is first following the inspiration of the "Christian Stewardship" lesson by sharing Christ's love and salvation with his large family.  Our Guatemalan staff now makes the trip out to this remote village (impossible to get to during the rainy season) once every two weeks to encourage Isidro, pray with his family, and hold a worship service for the entire community. 

Clinic Renovation

Due to our ever-growing medical clinic, we were forced to expand!  This new corridor was built so that the patients could wait outside to be seen in the clinic.  More space is now available inside to not only attend to the patients but also to store all of our medications and medical records.