Less than a month until we go!

Less than a month until we go.  Time sure does fly by.  It's now the end of June and there's still more to do before we can go.

The team has had two meetings since the last note and we've shrunk to 15 people.  We are all determined at this point to make it happen.  The team unity is good.  Our last team building meeting day was full of activities that helped us learn more about one another and create a stronger bond.

Hopefully everyone has received all their medical shots by now.  Good news!  We don't have to take malaria pills this year.  That's so nice.  I also found out that we don't have to spend the night out in the field so we don't have to pack sleeping bags.  This means more room for the donated flip flops and medical supplies.

Bible sponsorship is going well this year.  We started earlier and we have more bibles sponsored.  The stories around who sponsors and why is amazing.  It's very encouraging and you just know that God is involved.  If you would like to sponsor a bible or two, it is just $5.  You can write a note in the bible and the person that gets it can have it read to them by a translator.  Some folks are using translators now to write the verse in Spanish.  Very creative!

Our fundraising is still ongoing.  We've made the big purchase of airline tickets for the team.  We're buying supplies, team t-shirts, items for the kids program, insurance, etc.  It all adds up.  If you are someone who would like to donate, you still have the opportunity.  We are asking everyone to donate by July 8th so we have enough time to get all the remaining supplies and pack them up on July 15th.

Please pray for our team.  Multiple members have had surgery, illnesses, loss of loved ones, you name it - the challenges are there.  We need God's comfort and protection to get us the rest of the way.  Your prayers encourage us and strengthen us.  God hears and answers.  Thank you.

We pray for you at each of our team meetings.  We love you.  God bless you and yours!!

Two months to Go!

Wow!  Time flies by when you are preparing to go on a mission trip.  Hard to believe that it's June.

The team has 16 members.  12 women and 4 men.  We will have two teenage girls on the team with us this year.  The younger generation is such a blessing.  God is faithful in raising up the next generation.  This encourages us as leaders and as a team.

On the fundraising for this project, we have reached the halfway point.  How encouraging!  We look forward to the people that God will touch through their prayers and sponsorship of the team.  We know that God is working in the lives of all who hear about our trip.  How exciting is that!?!

We have our second team building meeting this weekend.  God has blessed our team with an opportunity to get away at a lake house.  I'm looking forward to spending some time outdoors enjoying the beauty God has set before us.  We also have a schedule packed with fun and exciting things.  The team will be preparing by learning how to use a bilingual bible, an evangecube, and other exciting methods for sharing God's truth and encouraging the people of Guatemala. 

Please pray that everyone will be able to make the meeting, that the distractions will be few, and that their hearts will be open to what God has for them.

Thank you for following our story and supporting our team!!

God bless you!!!

Online Donation Instructions

This year, we have online donations available to the team.  This is a good thing.  You will need to turn off pop-ups blockers or allow this site to execute pop-ups.  The process is four steps:

1) Fill out the initial donation communication on this blog site.  This sends an e-mail to our team treasurer to let us know who you would like to get recognition for your donation to the team's project. 

2) After you click "Submit", you will be sent to another page.  Please press the "Donate" button. 

3) This will take you to a site for making the monetary transaction.  Complete the donation form and click "Process Donation".  It's that simple!

4) Remember to print your receipt for tax purposes.

Thank you for supporting the team's project through prayer and giving.  Have a blessed day!!

Click here to start the donation process.

Getting Started & Team Recruitment

Getting started and looking at all the things that need to be done can sometimes be daunting.  There is a lot to do.  Focusing on the vision keeps us motivated to succeed. The vision to commit to a trip began in July 2011 when we got back from the Guatemala Medical Mission Ministries 2011 trip.  Since then, we have met with Dr. Hermann Alb to hear about the vision for 2012.  The vision is exciting!  Hermann has encouraged all of us to "bring a young person with you".

Recruiting for the 2012 team that will travel to Guatemala this year has already begun.  We have both new people and some experienced veterans interested.  Positions on the team are still available as we try to reach the capacity of 24 spots.  The recruitment process is always a blessing as God sends people with interesting testimonies.  We are continuing to reach out to our friends, family, and co-workers to ask them to join our team.  The kick-off meeting is scheduled for January 29th, 2-4 pm in Alpharetta, GA, USA.

Now, our team doesn't have the customary backing of a primary church for this trip.  God has provided a wonderful organization.  Yay for Seek & Serve, Inc.!  Seek & Serve provides some support tools and allows us to offer tax deductible donations to our supporters.

As we continue our recruiting activities, please let me know if you have a desire to be apart of the team and prepare to serve God and the people of Guatemala.  Please join us on our journey!

Thank you for your interest and God bless you and yours!

Welcome!

Hello Trippers and Supporters!

This is the blog for the team traveling to Guatemala on a medical missions trip.

• Location:    Guatemala City, Guatemala & rural destinations to be named later
• Dates:         July 28th to August 4th, 2012
• Team Size:  24 Trippers & ### Supporters 

Please bookmark this page and check back often for more details.
Thank you and stay blessed!