Check out the pictures from Guatemala

Thank You to everyone who sacrificed to send us on this trip. Some got to see immediate results from their work, such as a completed stove or a clean smile. Other labors will take more time, such as Margarito's witness in the community, students' growth in Christ, continued classroom discipline, teacher development, or persistent oral hygiene. Every material resource that we took down will be used, from the piano, recorders, and puppets, to the dental, art and classroom supplies. The beanie babies will be given out on Children's Day, which is very important in Latin America. Though we didn't get to see all items being appreciated immediately, the teachers were supremely thankful and we know that everything done for the Lord will bear fruit in the proper time. We all learned so much from the Guatemalans about contentment and vision for ministry.

For those of you who have more time and interest, we hope you will read the more detailed report that follows, as well as the participant reflections. Thank you so much for this life-impacting experience that you have provided through your prayers and financial support to the students and chaperones!

Details
Mrs. Caryn Hasbrouck for the Guatemala Team
GPCS Spanish Program

Day 1
Thursday: We left GPCS at 9AM, arrived in Guatemala at 9:30 PM. We drove one hour to a small campus run by Bob and Shirley Adams. They direct Fuego Christian College, a one-semester cross-cultural discipleship experience, and host teams when they have the space. The setting is beautiful and comfortable, with many plants and flowers. Only two aspects reminded us that we are "suffering for the Lord": not being able to flush the toilet paper and the electric shower heads that only heat the water if the flow is very low.

Day 2
Friday: Margarito took the boys off in his pick-up truck to buy supplies for building the stoves. The rest of us went to the school. In the main office, Dr. Don Theriault got busy setting up a dental clinic with Mrs. Donna Keenan, Kara Sarver and Vicky Woodward. Lauren, a MI missionary in charge of the child sponsorship program, also helped them. The school charged 50 cents per exam to avoid fostering dependency. Their first day was easy, filled with simple cleanings and hygiene.

The other girls and adults were all to work in a VBS style program with the school kids (grades 2-8): Kendra Pearson and Robyn Woodbury in Mime and Puppets; Cheri Keenan, Danielle Woodward and Mrs. Jeannie Fillmore in Arts and Crafts; Stephanie Babirak, Julia Hasbrouck and Mr. Peter Hasbrouck in Music; Bethany Green, Emily Keenan, Taylor Sarver, and Mrs. Caryn Hasbrouck in Bible and Song time. Our first day at the school was a shock. For each of our stations, the kids were arranged in large blocks instead of by grades. In each area, the expectations seemed to be different than the plan. That could be adjusted. The worst problem was the lack of discipline at the school. Kids talked while leaders were speaking, didn't follow directions, moved around, and didn't listen. The teachers there to help us seemed powerless to control them. Perhaps it was because the school had grown from 10 to over 200 in only eight years? How would we make our time worth the effort? What would we do??

As for food, we had breakfast at the guesthouse and lunch at the ministry sites. All of the Guatemalan food was wonderful. Most evenings we went back to the guest house for another delicious meal. The "dining room" was outside under a porch roof covered in hanging flowers. Old blooms had to be cleaned off the tables before breakfast and supper. Team members took turns helping with meals and clean up. Then there was time to meet as a group for prayer, discussion, and planning for the next day.

Day 3
Saturday: Margarito took the boys off in the pick-up truck again. They began building a fuel efficient, vented stove for a family that had been following the custom of having an un-vented open fire in their house. Dr. Theriault and crew were back to treating patients, but they had a harder day with people who hadn't been to a dentist for years. Kara and Vicky gave dental hygiene talks to each patient, and even pulled some teeth.

The rest of the girls painted classroom walls, almost happy that no children would be at school on Saturday. We all needed time to plan and re-group after Friday's "trial by fire." Mr. Hasbrouck & Mrs. Fillmore addressed the teachers in a session planned for the early afternoon. They spoke on discipline, Christian world-view and integration of faith with teaching. Some teachers and staff had been very frustrated by the chaos at the school and were thankful for clear guidelines. Mrs. Hasbrouck talked to parents about lasting gifts they can give their children, including a stable home and good discipline. We had been praying a lot for the seminars and seminars were very well received.

Day 4
Sunday: In the morning the group split up to visit two different churches. We met for lunch at a traditional Guatemalan restaurant and had an afternoon of shopping. A lot of prayer led us to a game plan for Monday. The kids may already have music and art teachers, may already know some of the songs we were teaching, etc. But, they didn't know discipline and that is something that every GPCS student does know! We prayed that we would see evidence of God using us and working through us, and give strength to each person teaching or leading.

Day 5
Monday: By now you know how the boys' day started. They finished a stove and ate a meal cooked over it. The family was extremely happy and thankful. The dental clinic steamed ahead with Mrs. Keenan aiding Dr. Theriault. Along the course of the trip, he taught Kara & Vicky enough so they could run their own cleaning operation. Lauren had some dental experience already, so with three chairs occupied they saw a lot of patients.

Monday's school day started with an orientation to the rules we expected students to follow, and the consequences for ignoring them. The girls did a great job giving their chapel and Bible lessons, as well as leading their room activities. Each classroom followed the same protocol, and the girls were loving, but very firm. Soon the Guatemalan teachers were following suit. On Monday night we gave praise to God for giving us inspiration and using us to teach godly discipline at the school.

Day 6
Tuesday: The boys started a stove at a more remote home where the people mainly spoke an Indian language which only Margarito knew. So, the boys worked hard and Margarito witnessed to the family. Dental work continued. People walking through the office might have thought a rehearsal for a musical review was in progress the way the dental team sang and joked as they picked multi-hued gunk off of teeth. They had Spanish phrases tacked up and did well speaking, too.

After dreading Monday then getting through it, Tuesday was a breeze for the school team. We spent more time with students and they started to show a lot of affection, sitting on the girls' laps, talking to them non-stop on breaks, and asking to have their pictures taken. We saw creativity grow from the stable ground of discipline. Everyone worked feverishly to get ready for the "Arts Festival" on Wednesday. Each team had done a great job teaching various skills to the kids. We also had another wonderful Guatemalan lunch.

Day 7
Wednesday: The boys finished another stove and ate another good meal provided by another happy family. Isn't it amazing how quickly the foreign becomes familiar? The dental team took two hours off to see the "Arts Festival." Any normal school director would have had a simple closing program in the chapel. But, Wally Estrada is a visionary, and they aren't known for being normal. He reserved the nearby basketball court, invited the public school next door, hired a gospel clown and bought 700 ice-creams on sticks. 200 kids from "our" school, about 300 public school kids, and the teachers all sat in the broiling sun and watched skits and mimes, saw art projects explained, listened to the choirs and testimonies, recited Bible verses, sang, and enjoyed the clown and ice cream. The theory worked better than the practice as the space was too large for sound to travel adequately, and the kids got restless. But, Wally did not want his school to keep the blessing of our team to itself. If you think about it, he had more freedom than we would to share with a public school in this country. We also thank Wally for letting our team practice Spanish and teaching skills on his students! The vision goes both ways.

In the afternoon, the boys came by to see the school and helped finish up the painting. The dental team worked on the last few very grateful patients. Mrs. Fillmore and Mr. Hasbrouck had one last session with the teachers and emphasized that Christian school teaching is more than a job, it is a responsibility before God. During the week many teachers came to both of them with comments and questions. We hope that in the area of discipline there will be a change for the better. Equally, we pray that the impact on our participants' lives will not be forgotten.

Wednesday ended with a little more shopping and a restaurant dinner accompanied by all the missionaries who had worked with us. The team received much praise for being hard working and easy going at the same time. We were the first Spanish-speaking Servant Team to go with Mission Impact, and they would love to have another GPCS group any time!

Day 8
Thursday: By 3:30 AM we had left the guest house and were on the road to Guatemala City. Our flights all left on time, parents were in Boston to pick us up, and we were home to Maine by about 9 PM. In the coming days we hope to have pictures available for you to see on the GPCS web-site.

Again, we thank you so much for making this trip possible. It was a joy to work with students and parents, both those who went and those who helped with many details at home. I was so proud of every student and each chaperone for letting God use them in challenging ways. Please ask them to give you even more details about the trip!

Participant Reflections

Taylor Sarver
People always say that prayer is a powerful weapon and I really got to see that on this trip. I had no idea going down how life changing this trip would be. I was working with the school teaching songs, verses and Bible stories. Words can't even describe how amazing the children were. They were the most accepting and loving people I have ever met. It didn't matter that I could barely speak their language or that I was basically a complete stranger, they loved me immediately anyway and that was what meant the most to me. Many were poor and never had enough to eat and yet they were always eager to share. Leaving them was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I hope I can go back again soon to visit, but even if I don't I know I will never forget them. So, thank you for enabling me to go on the trip of a lifetime.

Robyn Woodbury
The most amazing feeling in the world was knowing how much just a simple hug meant to the children. I had a chance to work with the kids in mime and drama and seeing their creativity grow felt like the greatest gift I could ever give them. I will definitely remember for the rest of my life the relationships I formed and some of the long conversations I got to have with people.

Cesil Alex
Hello, thanks for all of the support. Not just with money or prayer but other ways. The trip was pretty sweet. The boys worked on building stoves. These were conventional and environmentally friendly stoves which took way too long to build and the dust from the cement mix and cal (lime) probably took two years away from my life. That's beside the point. The people that we saw in the houses and the people we worked with totally changed my attitude and perspective. The poor people always had a smile on, the little kids always tried to help, and their work was so much harder than what I have to do, and yet they never complained. I know that's what I need to do, so Mom and Dad, I'll try to help out way more. But, I really do hate cleaning. I'd probably rather build another house than clean it, but that's just me. I don't want to talk too much, so I'll stop even though I don't want to. Thanks for everything guys, once again. God rocks and so does Guatemala!

Danielle Woodward
I'm really glad I got to go on this trip. I enjoyed being with all the Guatemalan kids. I hope I had a positive impact on them. Even though I wasn't able to talk much with the little kids because I speak very little Spanish, I was still able to show them God's love; so many of them simply wanted to be held. I was able to talk to the Jr. High teens a little because they were easier to understand and spoke some English. I was glad to see them open up to me and I hope I was a good influence on them.
(Ed. Note: Wally kept telling the girls that they would have a positive impact on the older kids by just being there.)

Mrs. Donna Keenan
This was my first trip to Latin America and my first mission trip. I was grateful to be in a place of magnificent natural scenery and beautiful climate. More importantly, the Guatemalan people we met were open, friendly, and very en-dearing. The teachers and staff at the school welcomed us with open arms and hearts so that by the end of our time we were all functioning as one team. I had the privilege to serve with Dr. Theriault, Vicky, Kara and Lauren (staff missionary) in the dental clinic. It was an extremely capable and fun group to be with for a week, and we were able to serve 131 patients. God worked in a wonderful way to bring together talented people willing to serve in any capacity. Each one was indispensable. I will greatly miss the people that we met and truly appreciate the time spent with our GPCS team members.

Julia Hasbrouck
Thanks for sending me to the land of the marimbas (the national instrument of Guatemala). It was a great challenge to try to teach the kids music, and I was able to help one girl specifically. I was also glad to have the chance to share my testimony with a large assembly of kids. Thank you for making this possible.

Stephanie Babirak
I honestly didn't think this trip would affect me as much as it has. I am so grateful to be given this opportunity. Working with all of the kids and being able to connect and form relationships with them was such and unspeakable blessing. Also I got the chance to meet my family's sponsor child, which was an experience I will remember all of my life. The poverty in Guatemala was devastating and the people there will stay in my heart. I haven't had time to digest everything that I did and saw there, but it was definitely a life changing experience. Thank you all for your prayers and gifts which enabled us to go on this trip.

Mrs. Jeannie Fillmore
The first thing I noticed was the beauty, flowers, trees, and beautiful volcanoes. I realized the people were as colorful as the scenery. I was truly blessed and impressed with their love for God. Hector was our wonderful "body guard" who witnessed for Christ every where he went. Wally is a visionary who wants to have Christian Education that truly stands for Christ. Miriam, the vice principal, wants children to be disciplined. I also realized that teachers, no matter what the culture, need and want the same things. I can't fully describe the feelings I felt. I was happy, frustrated, angry, and finally blessed in all the different situations I found myself.

Chris DiTrolio
Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. Our time in Guatemala was awesome! The guys on our team were involved in building wood burning stoves for people who lived in poor conditions. It was a great experience and I would love to do it again. It also was an eye-opener for us to see how good we have it.

Kendra Pearson
Guatemala was amazing. We were blessed to stay in the mission house, which was located on a beautiful property, and we were fed fabulous meals by the couple that ran the house and their wonderful cook. Traveling to the school every day was an adventure because the speed limits are not always obeyed. We made it back to the mission house alive and intact every day, so there is proof that God protects! Working at the school and the children is a memory that I hope I will keep forever. Everyone there was so nice, and I can hardly explain how amazing it was when the kids would come running up to us with smiles from ear to ear. The only regret I had as I was leaving Guatemala as the fact that I was only able to spend three days with the kid, and I would have liked to get to know all of them better. Some days were filled with challenges and days that were a lot of fun, and most of them had a bit of both. All in all it was an awesome experience! Thank you to everyone who supported us, financially and through prayer.

Emily Keenan
I am so thankful that I was able to connect with so many different people, although I had to speak Spanish. I was able to show God's love by hugging the kids from the school, sharing Bible stories and songs, and much more. I had so much fun and I hope I have the chance to return to Guatemala another time.

Dr. Don Theriault
This was a very fulfilling and rewarding trip that answered a lot of questions about missions, how they worked, what was done, etc. I found the work very gratifying if it is combined with evangelism. The most important thing I could do to help the people is to teach them to help themselves. I enjoyed the team atmosphere, loved the hymns and evening devotions and getting to know everyone. It was a great group of people, kids and adults, and a very satisfying and rewarding chance to see Guatemala and improve my Spanish.

Matthew Scribner
It is always a good thing to set low expectations for things you anticipate. Thankfully, I could have had the greatest expectations and still have been completely satisfied. Guatemala wasn't run down and depressing in any way. Even the poorest parts were beautiful, and you could see the volcanoes. The food was…SO… muy deliciosa, muy buena! Even those words can't sum up how amazing it was. Even better were the friendships between all of the mission workers and school friends. While doing a ton of manual labor, which was much more enjoyable than school or most anything else, we accomplished so much and even had fun. Working in Guatemalan homes was one of the greatest highlights of the trip. Both the families we built stoves for were all smiles all of the time. They obviously appreciated this help greatly. One Guatemalan girl asked to her mother who we were, and she replied "Those are Gringos." But, usually we were gladly accepted. Margarito's hilarious jokes, like driving into tree branches to hit us while we were in the back of the pick-up and such, made the trip such a pleasure. I could write a book with all that fascinated me about Guatemala. I can't put down enough words expressing my gratitude to God for this opportunity. This gave me a much better idea of what missions is all about and will definitely make me consider going into this field.

Kara Sarver
I had so many special experiences in Guatemala; I got to try many new and challenging things. It was very stretching, but very rewarding. All the kids were so sweet and bright. I really hope that we made a real change in their lives. At least they all know how to brush their teeth!

Vicky Woodward
One thing this trip has taught me is that I will never, ever, be a dentist. However, I had so much fun with the kids and I don't for one moment regret it. The experiences I gained were incredible. I had kids come in who would cry and re-fuse to open their mouths, while others would laugh, talk, and smile the entire time. The best part of all, whether we pulled a few teeth or not, was when the kids would give us a big hug or a kiss and walk away smiling. I thank God for the chance to help these kids, and I know I will probably never get to do it again. Thank you.

Luke Theriault
Wow, Guatemala was amazing, with so many awesome people. It was wonderful to be working to serve God. The boys and I made fuel efficient stoves for local families. Often, they cook on an open fire that it is very smoky and bad for their respiratory systems. Our stoves got rid of all that smoke. The families were always so gracious. Before we went, several kids were scared because we were told we must eat all of what is offered to us. But, the meals were about the best things I have ever eaten. (Actually, the only bad food was on the airplane.) Margarito was awesome. When we were working he would come up and startle us. We stayed in a "five star resort," but once in a while the water would stop working for an hour. Most people go on mission trips and get sick. I was sick before I left and got better there. If you ever have the chance to go on a short term mission trip, GO! God bless you.

Cheri Keenan
Thanks for helping all of us go to Guatemala. I loved it there - the scenery was gorgeous, the culture was very friendly, and the kids were adorable. I miss them already. Even though I still don't do well with speaking Spanish, I think we all improved a lot with it. Thanks again!

Peter Hasbrouck
I was exited for the opportunity to teach and minister in Spanish again, but I came away having been impacted by the opportunity we had as a team to "preach" the Gospel through our involvement with the school where only about 5% of the students are Christians. The great team of students we leaders had the privilege of watching as they tried their wings in Spanish-speaking cross-cultural ministry was also a joy.

Bethany Green
Guatemala was a beautiful place! We saw beautiful flowers and had hot weather. It was nice to see how friendly and welcoming the people there were. There were some tough days, but the kids were very cute and we had lots of fun with them. Thank you all for praying for us and supporting us. Thanks!!