Prayer

Hellllooooo!!! Well, where to start. Saturday was a long day!!! I met up with the group and we had a lot of traveling to do! After the plane ride we had a 6 hour drive to Huehuetenango. Once we quickly got settled in at our hotel, we had a youth discussion with a local church. This is a church that Devin's church has a lot of relationships with. We pretty much just talked about the Christian life with the youth. We discussed the importance of always seeking God and growing in a relationship with Him. The Guatemalans asked us other specific questions too. On Sunday, we held a VBS at the same church. The kids were so sweet and it was awesome to share with them that God loved them through simple crafts, games, and Bible stories. The smiles on these kids faces are to die for. That afternoon attended the same church for worship. I played the guitar while our group sang. Devin preached in Spanish, and it went really well!!! That night we played soccer and it was sooooooo legit!!!! Amanda McConnell if you read this, it was like playing with the internationals times ten!!! Monday, we went to buy supplies for vbs and ministry bags that we were going to pass out. We then drove to totonicapan.That night we just chilled and got the bags ready to pass out to the families. That night we went and hung out with some of the youth as they were playing basketball. Today, we began our day by going to the local market here in Toto. We then went to pass out those ministry bags we had packed the day before. We prayed with the families and tried to encourage them. We told them that the gifts were a small reminder of God's gift to us. With Christ, we have all we need. This is something I believe, but wonder if could if circumstances in my life were different. Would I really want to seek God when I was very, very poor and maybe a couple of other factors? I hope I would just like the lady we prayed with today. She is taking care of her brother who has been taking care of her brother. He has been blind since birth and they have no family other than each other right now. About a month ago they were told he wouldn't live more than a month. They even went ahead and got a coffin. Glory to God the man is alive today and the coffin is just sitting in there living room. When the pastor we were with prayed for them, the man and woman an kept shouting out to God. And when I say shout I mean shout. They were literally calling out to God. The man kept saying alleluia and the woman kept crying out to God how much we need Him. Why don't I call out to God lIke this? I have sooooo many things to be thankful for and have had so many answered prayers--- why do I not shout out alleluia? These people really encouraged me to have. Bios like faith and to call out to my Heavenly Father. We need Him and that's why I need to seek Him for all things. Apart from God there is nothing. This afternoon we held a VBS which was lots of fun!!! It made me think of my fifth graders a lot!!! Some of the girls always called me "sena" which is what they call their teachers here. It made me smile :) Maybe I'll. E a real "sena" one day here ?????? :) Tonight we went to a prayer meeting at a local church here in toto. My small group girls we need to take a trip down here to learn how to pray from them. It was very similar to the lady mentioned before--they literally cried out to God. You could tell by their prayers they truly wanted God in every aspect of their life. They prayed for the events at the church , people they knew were unsaved, the sick, and even us. The urgency in their voice was striking to me. It showed me how much they leaned on God. And they didn't just do prayer requests for 5 minutes--- this was a real prayer time. There was praise to God, confession of sin, prayer for unsaved, prayer for events that were happening that they wanted God to glorified through. It was truly amazing and challenging to me. Dios les bendiga!!! PS small group ladies: I have an update on Gabrielle, but I'm tired of typing on my iPhone!!!!! I'll tell ya next time.

Email me!

Almost there!!! Thanks for all the prayers and support so far. Feel free to email me while I'm there! It will be the best way to communicate with me 😄 A Nikki.Mashburn@Bcacrusaders.org Praise God for all He has done, is doing, and will do in all our lives. Hasta pronto!

6 days and counting!

Wow, I can't believe May 26th is almost here already!!!!

My flight leaves this Saturday morning at 6:00 AM!!! Lots to do before, but I was reminded of God's promises last night at church.

"Without Christ you will work even when you are resting; with Christ you will find rest even when you are workin."

Hebrews 4 explains the rest that God's people can enter, when we trust that God is God and we are not. 

Psalm 127: 1-2 also reminds me that work done without God is done in vain.  Only "God can build the house."  I must rest in the fact that the God of the Universe is in control in every area of my life.


Specefic prayer requests this week would be:

1.  Finishing my first year of teaching well!  Fifth Grade Celebration (graduation & program) is Thursday.  Pray that God would continue to give me strength and endurance this week as I enjoy my students before they become middle schoolers!


2.  Packing/Getting everything together before I leave.  God has already shown me last week how He is present even in the details of our life.  He is My Provider, and I pray that He would continue to help me prepare my material things for this trip as well as my heart.

3. Traveling :) 

Here is an itenerary of my first week there with Devin's church, Emmanuel Baptist.  Thank you for your prayers!

Guatemala Mission Trip 2012 May 26 – June 2

Itinerary: (subject to Guatemala Time )

May 26, Saturday:  Departure Day

             9:25 - Depart Houston UA Flight 1500

          11:18 - Arrive Guatemala City - travel to Huehuetenango
          Lunch – Pollo Campero
          Dinner - Hotel San Francisco
          Evening – Panel Discussion with area teens

May 27, Sunday: Huehuetenango
          Breakfast - Hotel San Francisco
          Morning – VBS Huehuetenango/Women’s Conference
          Lunch – Hotel San Francisco                     
          Afternoon – Worship Service
          Dinner – Hotel San Francisco
          Evening – Soccer (optional) - Team Meeting – Prepare for travel to Totonicapan

May 28, Monday: Huehuetenango & Totonicapan
           Breakfast – Hotel San Francisco
           Morning – Travel to Totonicapan
           Lunch – Hotel Totonicapan
           Afternoon – Door to Door Ministry         
           Dinner - Hotel Totonicapan
           Evening – Soccer - Team Meeting - Prepare Ministry Packages and VBS
                         
May 29, Tuesday: Totonicapan
          Breakfast – Hotel Totonicapan
          Morning – local market shopping, purchase supplies for VBS and Door to Door Ministry
          Lunch – Hotel Totonicapan
          Afternoon – VBS Cojxac, visit Pedro’s house to investigate construction for next year
          Dinner – Hotel Totonicapan
          Evening – Prayer Worship with Totonicapan Church

May 30, Wednesday: Totonicapan
          Breakfast – Hotel Totonicapan
          Morning – Door to Door Ministry
          Lunch – Hotel Totonicapan
          Afternoon – VBS Tierra Blanca
         Dinner – Hotel Totonicapan
          Evening – Panel Discussion with area Teens and Concert
           Team Meeting – Prepare for travel to Antigua

May 31, Thursday: Totonicapan & Antigua
          Breakfast – Hotel Totonicapan with Pastors
          Morning – Travel to Antigua
          Lunch – Panajachel
          Afternoon – Relax at Hotel Porta
          Dinner – Hotel Porta
            Evening – Team Meeting and Devotional

June 1, Friday: Antigua
          Breakfast – Hotel Porta
        All Day – Antigua, Lunch on your own
          Dinner – Hotel Porta
          Evening – Team Meeting, prepare for trip home

Eleven days

Hello wonderful people!

I will try my very best to use this blog to update when I am in Guatemala.  It is only 11 days away and  I am obviously REALLY EXCITED! 

Lots of things need to be done before I go and to finish my first year of teaching, but I know it will get done.  And how can I forget Jesus' promise in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all who labor and are havey laden, and I will give you rest."  Though I have felt very tired & busy these past few weeks, I know God is with me.  He has never let me down or not provided for me--why would He start now? Like I talked about in my  letter, even though I know I am and feel weak---My God is strong, and will be the strength I need to get through anything (whether it be a crazy day as a fifth grade teacher or a tourist in Guatemala!)

One passage that has really been my prayer lately "stems" from John 15.  Go check it out!  But the key points that stick out to me are phrases like abide in me & apart from Him we can do nothing.  Whether on a mission trip or classroom, I can not do things for Christ without abiding in Him.  This is such a simple principle to state, but sometimes harder to live by when life becomes hectic.  We get caught up in the "what am I doing for Christ?"  instead of "who am I becoming in Christ?"  Eventually this mindset of doing, doing, doing for Christ wears us out!  That's why we have to abide in Christ to be our strength---and everything else we need! Let's get back to the basics and make sure that we are absorbing God's word and spending time with Him.

Guatemala Round 2

Dear family and friends,

            I just wanted to take some time to share with you more of what I will be doing this summer.  I fully believe in the power of prayer, and I want prayer saturating what God has planned, so far, for my summer.  I hope that by explaining some of the details further I can share with you what God has laid on my heart, and by that you can understand part  of God’s heart for the country of Guatemala.

Why?

  Hopefully by now, you do know that I am going to Guatemala this summer J    The official dates for my trip are May 26-July 19. Before I get into the “what’s” and “when’s” let me dive into the “whys.”  I was able to go to Guatemala two summers ago with a program through Liberty.  It was incredible, looking back, on how God orchestrated my life to allow me to go.  I learned so much while there (including lots of Spanish!) It was my first “mission trip” and definitely the longest period of time I had been away from home.  God taught me through the Guatemalans the importance of putting God first in all circumstances (“Primero Dios”).  Many of them also showed me how I need to be more selfless, as they were so generous and giving towards many.  God also burdened my heart for the town I was able to live in during the second month.  It’s funny, because the town though thousands of miles away from America, was very much like America, spiritually speaking!  I saw a lot of people going to church and “being Christian” because that’s what their family did.  It was more about rituals, tradition, and the act of doing.  This is not the Gospel. 

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor.  We must accept that He sent His son to die for us, and that when God looks at us He sees Jesus in our place.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  We live in response of this gift, as we offer our lives as a living sacrifice to God.  Paul says in Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Also, like America, there are people who just don’t know.  They may be around church and near it, but the Gospel is not in their hearts.  And there are other people in Guatemala who have simply not heard. 

To simplify all the above, I’m going because God has called me.  Just as I am supposed to do here in Raleigh/Durham, I am going to go and share what Jesus has done for me in Guatemala (and I’m going to attempt to do that in Spanish :D).  What Jesus has done for me is accessible for all people from here to Guatemala to Timbuktu.   I know there are needs here in NC and America, and I absolutely acknowledge that.  The truth of the matter is that I can’t meet all the needs by myself.  God works through the church, His body.  We, as the church, are to be ambassadors wherever we go.  But God said to make disciples of all the nations.  I don’t think I am better than anyone because I am going overseas, nor do I see it as a way to earn “extra Christian points.”

I just know that God has put Guatemala on my heart.  He has since the day I left in 2010.  He had to grow and mature me a more in faith, but now He has told me it is time to go back. But like God has been teaching me, it’s not about me—it’s about proclaiming His name.  This is my God-given desire and I hope it is yours too, wherever your location may be.

When and What?

 I will be flying out of RDU early Saturday morning, May 26^th, to Texas to meet up with a group going from Devin’s church in Oklahoma, Emmanuel Baptist Church. Together with them I will fly to Guatemala!  This church has gone for many years, and as a result has established many relationships with the people there.  Our first stop is Huehuetenango. We will be there Saturday and Sunday.  We will prepare for the week, worship at the church, and then hold a youth activity that Sunday night there. On Monday, we will travel to a town called Totonicapán. Here we will be putting on a VBS, hanging out with the youth, and visiting people in their homes to pray with them.  The team will be here until June 3^rd before going back to Oklahoma.

After the team leaves Devin and I will continue staying in Totonicapán.  I will then be living with a family, mother Lena and her daughter Mimi.  I will be here until June 15^th.  Here, we will be going door-to-door visiting and praying with the people in this area.  We will also be delivering food, passing out blankets, or trying to fill any needs we see.  During this time our main focus is to build relationships and communicate the love of Christ by helping provide for their physical needs.

On June 16^th, we will “move” to Huehuetenango.  We will be spending time with a church called, Fuente de Salvación.  I will be living with the pastor’s son’s family during this week, while we are forming relationships with the youth in the church.

The last part of the trip, which at  times I still cannot believe, I will be traveling back to the same area I was two summers ago! I will be living with the same family I did before, the Chacon family.  This family consists of mother Maria, daughter Elizabeth, and son Oscar. The mother leads the local church in the town of Llano Largo (near Zacapa if you want to see it on the map).  This is largely due to the lack of male leadership.  The church is very small, but upon attending it is very clear they have big faith.  The small numbers are not a distraction for them, as they are more focused on praising their Savior during church.  Elizabeth has told me that recently they have had more young people come to the church.  Compared to many places I went to in Guatemala, Llano Largo is a “wealthier” town, but it is still spiritually poor.

As touched on earlier, Guatemala is a place of tradition, and for many people that goes with their religion.  If their entire family has not gone to church they will not either.  Pray for the hearts of people in this town to be softened so that they can see past traditions.  Pray that they will see the Gospel for what it is and the saving power it has.

  I beg for your prayers.  God has really been preparing me for this trip, or maybe for something even greater.  Regardless, God is moving and active here in the States and in Guatemala.  He is challenging me to speak more boldly and to be more open about what He has done, is doing, and promises to do.  I am being pushed to do that here in the States and I think it is preparing me to do this in Guatemala.  Please pray that God would continue to empty me of selfish desires so that He can use His power through me. Second Corinthians 12:9 says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

  God promises to use our weakness for His glory and I believe that is what God is doing in me right now.  In order to see the true power of God, we must yield to him our every desire, passion, and want.  Please pray for the many people I encounter on this trip.  Pray that I would humble myself to learn from them, as well as be used by God to encourage, disciple, or share the Gospel with them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this small booklet… I mean letter J

                                                                                          Love in Christ,

                                                                                                            Nikki