Antique places of healing.

"To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. hear the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your holy sanctuary." (Psalm 28)

But, what if the voice heard and hands lifted, are those of the Fathers, in and around our own hearts by the voice of the silent and response of the deaf, living within society's pit? When in an act of mercy we are found helplessly adrift in a sea of Gods own mercy abandoned by any power of our own. Left eye to eye with an equal creation who's final chapter the world has long since written.

Saturday was devoted to an Aids Hospital sat high upon a hill overlooking countryside villages and farms, A 'Special Needs Clinic' residing within a classic cathedral in the heart of Antigua and on the streets of Antigua itself.

We were blessed with the smiles of little faces who's hearts have been scarred by HIV/AIDS within their own small bodies, or the bodies and lives of those who bore them. Skits were acted, swings were swung, finger guns shot, goals scored along with much more atop that countryside hill. Two things for sure, we're not as young as we used to be, and these little lives are precious to our Father.

The special needs clinic is a sight of the abandoned; It's also the sight of some of earths strongest women. Day in and day out these nurses are severely outnumbered in the battle against the infirmities of a broken worlds broken bodies. We were incredibly fortunate to assist in lunchtime feeding of these near and dear to Christ heart. Mere words will never do true justice to the needs of this sanctuary and the truths spoken to our hearts.

Antigua is a city immersed in culture and heritage. From its cobble stone streets to its antique architecture it's a city all its own. We walked the tourist lined streets absorbing much of the old city's culture both old and new. Among its history, much western influence can be seen flanking its foundational roots; from Micky D's to Piccadilly the world has moved in to satisfy the convenience of tourism. It provides a great metaphor to what influences of convenience has moved into the heritage of our Faith.

Not to be forgotten, a great thanks goes out to our Sister, Taylor Ewing, who gave us the grande tour of Casa Shalom'. She's made this her home for many months spending each moment of daylight caring for some of Guatemala's cutest children and infants. Her time spent touring the facility and walking the streets of Antigua was a bonus of a blessing.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers as we move into another day of The Lord.

Chad Towler

One Family United

The families arrived in Guatemala today! What a blessing it's been to jump into the arms of my family that I haven't seen in almost six weeks! I flew straight into Guatemala to meet up with the AXIS ministry group (aka 18 through 20-something's), for missions here last week after a month of studying abroad in Costa Rica. This was my first mission trip with Lakewood, and what an awesome ride it has been! Not only did I get to take part in God's ultimate mission for our lives here in Guatemala City, but I also have had the privilege to get to know and reconnect with some of the most incredible, talented and God-fearing group of young people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Today, 21 people from various families arrived in Guatemala to join the AXIS group making 39 of us total. As close as our AXIS group has gotten within the last week, the families that arrived by no means caused us to skip a single beat. We all became united the moment they stepped off the plane. We returned to Seteca Seminary where we're staying, and immediately the greatness of God shown through as he pulled us all together for worship and fellowship. Lakewood has even had the pleasure and blessing of working, for the first time, in Guatemala with another church within our community in North Georgia, Ivy Creek Baptist Church.

Sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends and cousins alike gathered together tonight for our first night in Guatemala at a church in the landfill called Restoration Church. Songs were sung unanimously in both Spanish and English as well as sermons spoken. The power of God fled through the tiny church tonight. It was an amazing start to another week of God's work here.

What's been special to watch today is that it doesn't matter what age we are, or what family background we have, what language we speak or even what church we come from, we are all one family united under one father - our Father in heaven. We are all here for his purpose.

One point that has laid heavy on my heart from a devotion this morning that carried over into our devotion tonight is that God doesn't need us to do his work. He could do it all on his own as he is an all powerful God. What's incredible is that he choses to invite us in to work with him along his side. He gave us the power to change the world with him as an unstoppable force! How much more amazing can life get that we may have these precious opportunities to change people's lives not only abroad in a third world country but also in our daily lives?

Luke 18:27 "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Megan Rochester

Tag and Limbo

This morning we went to the AIDS hospital. Last year I was blessed to bond with a girl named Ingrid. Today I was able to see her again. She was just as happy as last year. It broke my heart to hear more of her story. She told me that she has lived there for as long as she can remember. Despite this she still maintained an abounding joy. Before we left Seteca, Matt read us a quote by Tim Keller that said, "If God exists then every good endeavor, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God's calling can matter forever." This quote was on my mind today as we served these children. Today our ministry was simply loving these kids. My day consisted of playing games of tag a limbo. It was such an awesome experience to love on these kids. Please continue to pray for these children. I know God has great plans for these children. And for us to be a small part of that plan is such a blessing.

In His great love,
Zach Johnson

Ephesians 3:8 " Unto me, who am less the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;"

Connections Rekindled

Today was a very good day. After we went to the Malnutrition Center we came back to Seteca for a little while. Then at 4:30 we met back up and headed out to the landfill to help with the Friday night feeding that Pastor Saul's church does weekly. One of my prayers for this week was to reconnect with the people I had met in the past which I have been able to do. At the feeding I reconnected with several girls I met on my spring trip and was able to give them some pictures I had printed of us from when I met them. They were so thankful for the pictures and thanked me several times, they don't generally have an opportunity to print pictures and they were so thankful to have them. I was also able to see a woman I met my very first trip to Guatemala in 2011. I was so glad she remembered me and it was really great to see how her little boy had grown up. When I met them he was only a tiny baby and I sat and talked to Carla, the mother and rocked the baby for a long time. But now he's two and a half and it was wonderful to see them again. Another thing I thought was cool today was to see some of the same babies at the malnutrition center and to see how much more healthy they look now than even a few months ago. Tomorrow we are going to the AIDS hospital and the special needs hospital in Antigua. Then we are going to spend the rest of the day in Antigua and then spend the evening sharing and loving on our drivers and translators. The Lord is working in Guatemala through us and even in our absence. Please keep the Guatemalan people in your prayers, because prayer is so powerful!!!

Gracie Parker

From Streets To Rocking Chairs

Today we went to the malnutrition center and I got to see Gerson And Andrés. To give some back ground to them they started out homeless and and born in a strangers house. They are now 3 years and 8 months old and every time I see is a blessing because there story is very sad and it seems like they have very little hope. When Gerson was born it was a struggle for his life because he had a tumor on his face and he almost lost his sight and almost his life because of the tumor. Also to add on to that is that he had a deep cut in his upper lip from a broken bottle when he was being fed by his mother. The cut which i saw on my first trip looked like he had cleft pallet that's how bad the cut was and he was only 3 months old when he received the wound when I first met them my heart broke for them because they were only 6 months old and they have already had such a hard life. But every trip I have been on to Guatemala I have been able to see them which is such a blessing to see them grow up like being able to see them start to walk and talk and even run! Also just being Gerson recover and see God heal them. God has shown me so much these past few years with them but this trip has broke me. Today at the malnutrition center I was able to hold Andrés and sing songs to him and rock him in a rocking chair and he fell asleep in my arms and just being able to see him sleep and have peace even though they don't have a mom or dad because they left there, it was amazing to read this morning how God takes care of the orphans and it was such a blessing to see how God takes care of them even though there isn't hope and how he has a plan for them and I know he will do great things through them and there story together.

-Joshua Puckett
Romans 8:28
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know I Am"