Hillside Missions

Tuesday, March 16

2010-03-17T20:21:00.002-05:00

I want you to hear from a few other than me today:

Sam: Well today was our 2^nd day at the boys cadet. Yesterday was a really hard day. The boys were not willing to participate in much and it was a bit discouraging. However I believe that God orchestrated that perfectly so we could appreciate today and future days. Today was absolutely amazing! We made great progress with our groups. We played water games and they seemed to really open up. By the time we left today they all wanted hugs, as a matter of fact several of the kid’s told Joe and I that they were sad because tomorrow was our last day and they would miss us. Jane’s training with the staff seemed to have went well today. I stepped in briefly to help teach some RBT and RSA stuff. I believe the staff truly have a heart to help and are just short on resources. Tomorrow is our last day at the Boys Cadet. Please be praying that the boys have an open mind and heart to what God has planned to do through us. It is also amazing to see all of God’s creation! It is so beautiful here. Good night friends and family.

Rebekah Politz—Well God is blessing us with plenty of materials for the library, and plenty of fun moments for our team! I hope to see a change in this country and that the fingerprints of the lives we touch never fade. P.S the jiguiar attacked me! (but it was incaged J)

Maddie Nelson—Today God blessed us with many school supplys for the children at the school and we taught the them how to jumprope and double dutch.

Jill Allen – God is good! We got to spend the day at the school making sock puppets!! It was so fun to see the kids create. Most of the kids are learning English at school We instructed the kids that their puppets could only speak English. The teachers appreciated the time that we spent with the kids so they could “practice their English.” Big beautiful dark brown eyes are slowly letting us into their world. It is humbling to see God revealing miracles right before our eyes! Not only are the Belize kids learning and growing, it is awesome to see the kids (young and old) on the team learning and growing too!

Tricia Hemelstrand – We had an amazing day at the boy’s cadet corp. The boys began to open up to us, but more importantly open up to the Lord. Barriers were broken down through relationships and trust between the team and the boys. One young man that God put in my path could not read. God allowed he and I to become close enough for the Word to be spoken to his ears instead of through his eyes. God is so good. Please pray that every boy at the Corp will accept the grace the Lord has to offer.

Day ONE, part 2

2010-03-17T07:28:00.004-05:00

SORRY FOR THE DELAY BUT THE INTERNET SERVICE HAS BEEN OUT!

What a first day. Everything at the library went great. We got all the trusses on and are now ready to put the tin roof on tomorrow. We will paint the inside, get the roof on, put the lap-siding on the gable ends, and tile the floor. If we can get all that accomplished, then we will remain on schedule.

Today the weather was just about perfect. It was in the low 80’s and overcast. The sun was not too bad. We tried to stay hydrated, but ran out of water. Luckily the village general store is across the street from the library and we kept them busy. A lot of us took an afternoon Coke break…it was the old recipe kind…made with real cane sugar and it was awesome.

The library crew worked hard…and Brad posed for lots of pictures! It looks like he worked hard, but…

Those who worked at the school were a hit. When the library crew arrived for lunch, the scene was pure chaos. Ginger Nelson, Rebecca Politz and a few others were face painting the kids, and they had kids lined up 50 deep…all pushing…all clamoring not to be forgotten!! But alas the after lunch period bell rang and a lot had to go with unpainted faces back to the classrooms. Lunch was chicken & rice, Belizen style. It was very good…even the chicken feet were better than any public school lunch I ever got as a kid!

Jolena’s team got started at the Cadet Corp. The boys were a bit more of a challenge than they expected, but by the end of the day most of them were letting down the walls a little bit. Pray that the staff will become more engaged and that the boys’ hearts will be ready to receive the love and attention from the team. Jane and Kristin made a presentation to teenage mothers and mothers-to-be. It was well received and God is faithful….there were 18 blankets and agape and exactly 18 girls showed up.

On a lighter note, yes, the monkey does bite…ask Jane. And Festus might be a better guard “dog” than some of our local dogs

Day ONE

2010-03-15T07:03:00.002-05:00

Monday, March 15, 2010

Well, we made it. Both flights delayed 15 min, but other than that it was uneventful getting here. All our luggage made it, and all cruised through customs except two. They were searched but sent on with the group. We have settled into our rooms, had a delicious supper and Tim Tam lead us in devotions last night. A few of us even hit the pool for a bit last night before turning in.

There is no “daylight savings” time here, so I am really confused. We leap forward yesterday morning, then undo the leap when we land here. This morning, I am not sure if my alarm clock is right or not. My brain is crying out for another hour of sleep, but I can’t be the one who is late on our first day. But it sure is dark outside, so I will get ready and either have an hour to pray and read or I will be on time for breakfast.

If you have time today, pray for our safety, for open doors and for open hearts. Not only do we want to show the love of Jesus this week, we want to share his love also. But we need to make relationships to do that. Pray that God would send people into our paths this week that we can invest in and then invite to the movie Friday night. The movie will be a creative "overview" of the Bible and story of Jesus. It's called "The Hope." My hope is that many will be challenged by this movie to move into a relationship with Jesus.

More to come when we get back this afternoon.

You Better Belize It!

2010-03-11T17:12:00.005-06:00

A team of 45 men, women and children are leaving on March 14 for a week of mission work in Belize. We have already shipped down a sea-cargo container of shelving, books, computers, and supplies for the library in the Valley of Peace. We are truly excited to begin our adventure! We have been praying about this trip for a while now, will you join us in lifting up this trip?

The first 3 days will be spent finishing the community library, a playground that has already been started, and a group will also be hosting some training for the Boy's Cadet Corp. On Thursday a group will head to the prison and another group to a home for pregnant teens. On Friday, we will be tourists and then Friday night we will dedicate the library and have a village movie night, where we will show "The Hope." Saturday and Sunday we will retreat to a private island resort on Spanish Lookout Caye. There we will play a bit, and mostly seek God and worship Him at sunrise on Sunday! Then back to Amarillo!

The Hillside Team:

Makinsey Allen; Ron, Jill, McKayla & Remington Allen; Samantha Ballew; Jared Beukelman; Edwardo Brenes; Dale Davis; Sherilyn Fox; Brittany Franks; Bobbi Fuegel; Melissa Harper, Neil & Tricia Hemelstrand; Tucker Hudson; Bradley Ingram; Joe, Jane & Kyla King; Hillary Lomas; Judy & Barry Lynch; Katy McCracken; Mary Miolhus; Corey Nathan; Kevin, Giner, Madeling, Thomas & Jacob Nelson; Steven Pair; Donna & Rebecca Politz; Jeanne & Terry Prescott; Janis Reid; Kent Sappenfield; David Trout; Tony, Jolena & Kristin Watson; Brandy Waugh; Lindsey Wright; Mark Zimmerman

Day Four

2009-10-23T08:17:00.003-05:00

A long day yesterday. We unloaded box after box from a cargo container. Tim told us it would be a few boxes...what he didn't say was a few "hundred" boxes. But it was nice to be here to help. I've usually been on the giving side and rarely gotten to be on the receiving side. This day were were kinda in both positions. Why Tim wanted us to help was that there were tables and chairs on there from HCC. We all got to deliver them to the school in the Burial Grounds. So cool to see the kids' faces when they helped us unload. A simple thing of used tables and chairs made them smile the most beautiful smiles. Tim finally let us grab lunch around 2:30...Ron and I had jerked conch...it was a treat. We finally got the last bit unloaded around 5pm, just in time to head to our next appointment.

We all divided up and when to the homes of a few members of a church for supper. I ate with the Pastor and his family. Fried Chicken, eggs, red beans and fried jack (a fried bread). Ron and Tim got fried green pumpkin (they said it was good) but I think I got the better deal. Then we worshiped with them at their Thurs night service and then headed home.

We got to go swimming last night under a blanket of stars. It was good fellowship with Ron and Tim. We spotted shooting stars, etc. Could have sworn the Space Station took a picture of us (we saw a flash of light and there were no clouds). Hope they got my good side!!

Today we head north 2 hours to Corozal to visit Moises (the little boy who spent time in BSA) and to deliver gifts and a few suitcases of clothes that were donated to the family. Along the way we will stop by the Juvenile Detention Center to see the ministry there and Monkey Bank (a girl's home). So back late again tonight. We all are moving a little slower this morning. Me thinks me needs an extra cup of coffee today!

Tomorrow we head to San Pedro Caay to visit an Anglican school called Holy Cross. We met the founders, Vernon and Francis, our first day here and look forward to seeing their work. Then I hear rumors that Vernon will take us on a fishing trip and deliver us to our other island destination. There we will debrief the rest of the day Saturday, possibly get to snorkel a bit, and then return to the mainland and airport on Sunday.

So therefore, this will probably be my last post for this trip. It has been a joy and a pleasure to see God working in this country. I personally have been blessed just by being here. It may be hot and humid here, but the people, food, culture and God given possibilities make me want to return and bring lots of HCCers with me!

Day Three

2009-10-22T08:21:00.004-05:00

Day three in Belize began with a 2 hour horseback ride through the jungle. It was awesome!!! We had so much fun. I kinda felt sorry for my horse Sampson, hauling my XL frame all over the jungle! But he did what he was supposed to do and got me home safely. I told his keeper that Sampson deserved a long rest that afternoon.

For lunch we headed into Belmonpan (the capital city of Belize) for lunch at the market place. The lunch was a tremendous array of Belize's food fare. We ordered almost one of everything to try. My favorite was the watermelon juice. It is cut off the rind, deseeded and placed in a blender and pureed. Then it is placed in the freezer for a bit and I absolutely thought it was the better than any watermelon I have ever eaten. It's definitely something I will try when I get home. The little tacos were flavorful, especially when we topped it off with a hot pepper and onion vinegar slaw! Makes me hungry just thinking about them! :)

From lunch we went to prison. My goal in life was to stay out of prison, but it seems that God keeps presenting opportunities to minister inside the barbed wire. This prison is unique. It is run by a board of Belizian citizens who wanted to make it better. John Woods, a former bush pilot in Guatemala, met the love of his life here and Belize and has been here for over 30 years. He is the Chairman of the Board that oversees the prison. Every program they run is Christ based. The coolest fact he shared is that those who return to prison has dropped from over 90% to around 13%. They don't just do time here...they are introduced to God's changing power, the love of His Son Jesus Christ and then they (most, but not all) surrender their lives and can truly be rehabbed. Chuck Colson is touting this prison as a model for the world's prisons to emulate. Jolena brought a word of encouragement to a couple of groups of men. And they were more than happy to shake her hand afterward and walked away with the biggest smiles! But I could tell as I watched them stare intently as she spoke, they weren't just enamored with her womanhood, they were listening to what God was saying through her! Good job Jolena...it was great to see you in action!

Ron and Kenny got the playground done in the Valley of Peace while we were off horseback riding. We picked up Ron on the way to prison and then afterwards we went to supper with John Woods at a restaurant he owns...great food! Afterwards we headed into Belize City to see a new venture of Word at Work--its a sewing co-op. It has just launched with more women than sewing machines. It is aimed at single mothers who need to make a living for their families. It was so touching to see the smiles on their faces as they tried to sew a straight line. Over the course of the 12 weeks they will learn to sew a blouse and skirt, then they will wear their creations at their "graduation ceremony." Along the way they will be taught to sew "tourist" items like pot holders, grocery bags, aprons, etc. I asked Maria if I could sign Debbie up for the course and she has been accepted! :)

Breakfast is ready and I will have to finish later...we have a very long day planned and I am looking forward to it. Until then...whenever it may be!

Valley of Peace

2009-10-21T08:16:00.007-05:00

The playground for the school in the Valley of Peace went up much faster than we expected. There will be some people working on it today, including Ron Allen, Kenny, and a some parents. We still need to add some of the outlying parts, and then level, plumb and cement the posts in. Even though it was just partially finished the kids took full advantage of test driving the slides and ladders as soon as we got them to a safe level. It was a joy to see the smiles and hear the screams as some of these kids probably got to slide for the first time. This playground set was given to Word at Work by the school system in Snyder, Texas. It will be utilized to the fullest extent if yesterday was any indication!

Again last night it was cloud covered, so no stargazing for me. It is cool and cloudy this morning and that will be more than acceptable as we skip out from the playground construction and take a 2 hour horseback ride into the jungle. I hope the jaguars got breakfast this morning because they aren't in cages here! We hope to spot lots of toucans and parrots, etc. and any jaguars from a very safe distance!!! I'll try to take some pictures, but never have from horseback...should be an interesting experience.

The Valley of Peace is a beautiful area. In the 70-80's it was a refugee settlement. The refugees were mostly from El Salvador during their civil war. Each refugee was given 1 acre in town and then 25 acres outside of town to farm. We have been working with the "cath

olic" school (its called the catholic school because that is who first built it, but there are no nuns slapping kids on the knuckles with rulers here!) and it is great to see what they are doing. The new principle is actually a young man who went through school there and now he is the "boss" of some of his former teachers! He said it could get really weird at times. The teachers and kids were great to hang around and I look forward to getting them some sporting equipment for the playground.

Around noon we head toward the old section of Belize City and grab lunch there, and then over to the prison to check out their work there. I will explain more about it tomorrow. It is a great example of a Christian prison working to change the lives of its inmates. I look forward to checking out their ministry.

For internet here it is a wireless system and with the cloud cover we are having lots of difficulties. I will add pictures to out blog at lunch...when we have a stronger signal in town. Well, the coffee is done and I'm heading out! Have a great day Amarillo!

First Day in Belize

2009-10-20T08:04:00.003-05:00

Ron Allen, Jolena Watson and I flew into Belize City yesterday afternoon. We met up with Tim Tam and headed over to our hotel "Banana Bank." By the time we got there it was dark...and I mean dark! No daylight savings time here, so we are an hour behind Amarillo, but the same time zone. Fortunately it is a new moon phase so little moonlight, but unfortunately it was cloudy and the countless stars were covered up for the night. Maybe tonight I will get to swim under the stars.

Right now I am sitting in my chair on the veranda. A canopy of coconut palms and other trees overhead; macaws, other birds and spider monkeys can be heard as the sun rises. I must admit, this beats sitting in the office any day! As I look to my left there is a caged Jaguar, an indigenous cat that still inhabits the surrounding jungle. This one is for show...but still bites! Our rooms are nice and air conditioned, but I can already see this is where I will be as much as I can.

Today we will head over to the Valley of Peace and put together a play ground set that has been in a shipping container for quite a while now. I can't wait to see the faces of the school children that will be receiving this generous gift.

As most of you know I am a history geek. So here is a quick history lesson (as I understand it) about Belize...pictures to follow tomorrow.

"So where am in the world is Belize?" my mother asked. Here ya go mom: It is a narrow strip of land on the Caribbean coast of Central America, located due south of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It is about the size of the Texas panhandle, with the population just shy of 300,000. It is bordered on the west and south by Guatemala who contested its independence in 1964. Therefore Belize did not attain full independence from Britain until the tensions with Guatemala and their claim on the territory cooled. Belize was granted full sovereignty in 1981, making it Central America’s newest nation. The word “Belize” probably comes from the Mayan word for “muddy.”

Almost half of the population lives in one of the six major towns or cities, with the rest living in rural areas or small villages. About 45% of the population is considered mestizo, descendants of mixed Spanish, Mexican, and/or Mayan blood. Making up 30% of the population are the Creoles, predominately black descendants of slaves and early British colonists. Also Belize has three Mayan tribes—Yucatec, Mopan, and Kekchi—they make up 10% of the population.

The general pace of life in Belize seems to be slow. You’ll seldom find people rushing down the sidewalks or dirt streets. There are only four major highways in the country, and the traffic is never heavy I’m told. In fact, all of these highways actually have speed bumps along them…crazy I know! But maybe we need some of those along I-40!

It’s wild to think that long before the arrival of the first Europeans, this was the land of the Mayas. This territory was once a major part of the Mayan Empire. Even when most of the other Mayan civilization was in rapid decline after the AD 900s, Belize is somewhat unique in that it still had several major ceremonial and trading cities still occupied by Maya when the first Spanish conquistadors arrived.

Christopher Columbus sailed past the Belize coast in 1502, and even named the Bay of Honduras, but he never anchored or set foot ashore here, and the Spanish never had much success in colonizing Belize. Belize, like Jamaica, has a rich pirate heritage. Many of those buccaneers anchored off the Belizen coast and used the coast as hideouts and bases for their attacks on Spanish fleets transporting gold and silver treasures from their more productive colonies.

In the mid-17^th century, British loggers began to settle along the coast and make their way up the rivers and streams in search of mahogany for shipbuilding and other woods for making dyes. Throughout this period and into the 18^th century the Spanish would launch regular attacks on the pirate bases and also on the British loggers. In 1763 Spain and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris which gave Britain the rights to log in Belize, but the Spanish maintained sovereignty. But the skirmishes continued until the battle of St. Georges in 1798 in which the Spanish fleet was defeated and that effectively ended all Spanish involvement and claim to Belize.

In 1862 Belize was formally declared the colony of British Honduras. The British wanted their colony to remain dependent on the mother country, so virtually all the necessities of life were imported. Few roads were built, and the country remained unexplored and undeveloped, with a tiny population clustered along the coastline.

Throughout the 18^th and 19^th centuries, African slaves were also brought here until the Abolition Act of 1833 abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.

I know, most of you don't care about this... but understanding Belize’s history explains a lot of its current situation. It is a developing nation, limited by a small economy, a tiny industrial base, a huge trade deficit, widespread unemployment, and a historic dependence on foreign aid. These problems have only been compounded since independence. Sugar, bananas, and citrus are the principal cash crops, with seafood exports helping. However, thanks to a modest oil finding 2005, crude oil is currently the country’s number one export.

But Tourism is a promising and important cash cow. Belize is rightly considered one of the top scuba diving and snorkeling destinations on the planet. The Belize Barrier Reef, second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, runs the length of the coastline, more than 185 miles. There is so much to see and in Belize. I can't wait to began exploring today! Oh yes, and get some work done along the way.

THURSDAY

2009-10-01T19:19:00.003-05:00

What an insane morning it was. Breakfast at 7am, and off to the market at 8am. We did not have to go far, for the market had come to us. They were awaiting the touristas to step out of their safehaven into the madness of Chichi on market day. The market was crazy busy and we all had a blast haggling with the vendors trying to get our trinkets for less than another had paid. It was a beautiful dance of back and forth, most of the time, but sometimes it was more like a duel. Pennye Fitch is a master negotiator and I will be sure to take her with me the next time I have to buy a car!!! We are back from our 1/2 clinic day outside of Chichi, its around 6pm, and the ladies have headed out for another hour of shopping...sorry husbands, I was overpowered! So much to see and do today, we could not fit it all in. The sights in the market were nothing we see in Amarillo. I am sure the scores of pictures I snapped will not do it justice. You have to experience the colorful sights along with the sounds of bartering and laughter and the smells of diesel fuel, fried chicken and fresh corn tortillas being grilled. We shopped, and shopped some more...until the clock ran out on us. We did stop for a bit and we laughed a lot over a nice cup of hot chocolate...a local sweet treat. Tiffani Coon is just not quite right...that´s all I´m saying...but I´d bring her back in a heartbeat!! The hot chocolate was superb and the fellowship with Daniel and Ivan (our guardian translators) even sweeter. They have been right beside us the whole week...we could not have done it without them!!

Juan´s wife Manuela and her mother fried up a couple of fresh chickens for our lunch. Juan made us his roasted tomato and jalapeno salsa; which we quickly made short of. We saw 23 patients this afternoon, filled 67 prescriptions and will have another 1/2 clinic day on Friday. Then off to Antigua for the night and to Guatemala City to the airport before even the chickens will be up! Home to Amarillo and our loved ones on Saturday! And I want the record to reflect that I am 2-1 against Pennye in the Guatemala missions division of Scrabble, the rubber match tonight...await results!!! By the way Amy and Vietta have tried really hard, but to no avail!

WEDNESDAY

2009-09-30T18:45:00.009-05:00

Today we were in the village of Xevaj "Cheavak." We saw 93 patients today and filled 309 prescriptions...a busy and joyful day. I am going to let a few of the team members tell you about what they saw today.

Tiffani: There is a high possibility of me coming home with Scabies! I loved on lots of children today. I also did the Hokey Pokey & duck, duck, goose. ( do not try and get a mental picture

It was a truly amazing day. We are so blessed! Work girls- send needles, i have learned to give
b-12 shots and we are seriously short on needles. love to all, especially my Gracie girl and her daddy.

Rhonda: Hello Everyone-- we are all doing well. We are all taking care of each ther' and growing closer! 'in many ways. (lots of funny stories). The people here are beautiful, and kind and so gracious. The children are beautiful ' and kind' and you would not believe how they take care of each other. There are grandmothers, and moms and brothers and sisters all caring for each other. They are happy people' but have so many struggles. It breaks your heart, and yes I have cried for many. We have been able to see many patients'-- we have taking care of all members of family' which has been great. It only takes a moment to be taken in by them all- we have been in a few churchs in ChiChi- and the last two days more in the mountains where several patients walked a great distance to come in. Steep mountains' beautiful' but hard work for all the people- struggle for water, and food, and shelter. We had wonderful time today' after clinic- we played hokey pokey duck duck goose' and we all had wonderful time. i miss you all - but means the world to me to get to be here. Love you all and keep us and all we meet in your prayers. love, Rhonda

Vietta: Wow....I don´t even know where to start!!! Today has been the most amazing experience in ministry I have ever experienced!! I was so nervous when I was called on the mission trip and then when they asked me to see patients I was really "Blown Away". I can´t even explain the blessings that I have received by seeing patients. God has worked in so many ways so far on this trip. We have seen patients from 1 week old to people in their 80´s. Today what impressed me so much was the love of the children. I really saw God´s love through the children. I had a fan club of girls that absolutely loved me and were infatuated with my braces. They thought they were the neatest thing they had ever seen and wanted me to smile all the time. I can tell you one thing, there is no way that you can´t have joy in your heart when you are doing what God wants you to do. I am so glad that I didn´t listen to all the excuses that Satan threw my way to try to keep me from being on this trip because my cup is running over with joy right now!! I am truly looking forward to what the rest of the week has in store for us and I pray that God continues to allow me to be His hands and feet!

Vicki: It has been an experience I will never forget. The people of Guatemala are precious and so appreciative of everything you do for them. Today, we went to a school that was at the top of the highest mountain in Guatemala. The children welcomed us with open arms and the adults were so nice. They gave us all hugs and helped us set up the clinic. We saw so many patients and the little children were smiling, and they have the most beautiful smiles and brown eyes. The best time I had today was playing with the kids. When Mark, Tiffani, and I started giving away balloons, they surrounded us and we almost fell down. They were laughing and so very happy....over a balloon! Then we played games with them and had so much fun. John said an amazing thing last night at our devotion when he was talking about one of his patients who was so appreciative of our help. It was the patient who was the missionary in what he taught us! I will cherish the time I have had here and hope I will be able to do this every year. My love to Emily, Jordy, Jaxyn, and Tyler! See you when I get home.

Tomorrow we will spend the morning shopping at the Chichi market. Vendors from all over Guatemala set up portable booths in the main plaza and adjacent streets. They come from all over and most of Guatemala´s linguistic groups will be represented. Last year it was an absolute treat to experience and I (Mark) can´t wait until the morning...it is a cocophony of color, dialects, costumes, smoke, eats and smells. We also will hold a 1/2 day clinic tomorrow in the village of Chujupen. Looking forward to tomorrow!

TUESDAY

2009-09-29T19:21:00.007-05:00

It is raining hard outside and I had to walk 2.5 blocks to the internet cafe to do this update...my compadres whimped out...think they were the smart ones...I am soaked through to my shorts! It was a great clinic day today: 23 dental patients seen by Juan Tjo; 65 medical patients seen by John, Vietta and Rhonda; 205 prescriptions filled in the pharmacy. Everything from angina to scabies to infections, etc. It went so smooth and we had a great day of fellowship in the village of Patulup.

Everyone on the team is doing well health wise. We got good rest last night and look forward to a fire in the hotel room tonight. Tomorrow is another long clinic day and we look forward to it. Neither of these villages has had a medical team for about 8 months. And it shows. The people were very grateful for what we did and I know for sure that we were the hands and feet of Jesus today. Until tomorrow...

MONDAY

2009-09-28T19:25:00.003-05:00

We left around 9am from Antigua and arrived in Chichi around noon. We stopped along route at a great observation point that overlooked Lake Atlitlan and 3 volcanos, San Pedro, Santiago and Toleman. An awesome view and pictures for the taking.

We then checked into our hotel (Santo Tomas), unpacked for the week, and then headed out to our clinic. We had a homemade lunch at Dios con Nosotros (God With Us) Methodist Church in the village of Chujupen. Juan Tjo's wife and mother-in-law made corn tortillas, rice and a chicken dish that was awesome. Juan Tjo (our indigenous friend and guide) roasted jalapenos and tomatoes and made a chile sauce for us that was to die for. It was hot, but not too hot for us to eat up both bowls. After feeding our faces, we then started the clinic.

Dr. John, Vietta and Rhonda all saw patients today. It was a slow but steady crowd of 25, just right for a 101 or intro course for Vietta and Rhonda. A great afternoon, and now back at the hotel at 6pm. Supper and devotions to follow before turning in for the night. We will upload pictures tomorrow night. Tomorrow we will be in Patulup and will have a full clinic day. Until then...

They have arrived

2009-09-26T21:12:00.006-05:00

Just got a text from Amy and the team has made it to Guatemala City and through customs with no problems. Tiffani was the only one stopped (I am sure they tried to get the agents to keep her) but she made it through with no fine. They are heading to Antigua to Hotel Aurora and will overnight there (www.hotelauroraantigua.com). They will have a fun day in Antigua tomorrow with a walking tour of the city mid-morning.

Pennye Fitch and I will leave Amarillo tomorrow on the AA 2:50 flight and arrive in Guatemala City around 7:30 p.m. We will catch up with the team at Hotel Panchoy, overnight there, and leave bright and early for ChiChi. We will host a 1/2 clinic day Monday and then head to the hotel in the evening. We will try to update the blog Monday evening if we can catch the internet cafe open.

Keep praying for us and for our families as we are apart. Look forward to seeing the week unfold...
MZ

Guatemala 2009

2009-09-21T13:56:00.003-05:00

On Sep 27th, a group from HCC will be heading to Guatemala for our 2nd medical mission trip. Stay tuned for updates from the field!

The Team

John Hierholzer

Rhonda Maloney

Vietta Newton

Amy Cunningham

Vickie Neie

Tiffani Coon

Jim Wilhite

Pennye Fitch

Mark Zimmerman

Please pray for the following:

Safe travel for the team

Good health for the team

Smooth sailing through customs

God would stir in the hearts of the people as we share

Our families here

Last day in Damoh

2009-01-24T05:19:00.002-06:00

Today, Saturday, is our last day here in Damoh. This evening we catch the overnight train to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. Then on to New Delhi after lunch. We want to share with you a fond memory or two of our stay here in Damoh:

Mark--Friday night I got the honor and priviledge of speaking to over 300 women. My points simply came right out of Esther which was the text for the women's retreat. I began with reminding them that women have been making history since Eve and Adam in the garden of Eden. I challenged them that if they wanted to be history makers also there were three principles we must adhere to: 1) Learn when to remain quiet--Esther listened to wise advice and remained quiet until the correct time arose; 2) Learn when to speak up--Esther spoke up to Xerxes about Haman when the time was right--also we can't remain quiet about what Jesus has done for us; there is power in our testimonies; 3) Learn to see God in all situations--even the tough ones. I closed with the challenge to change history and for the men to get out of their way!

Suzette--Its hard to pick just a few fond moments. But I guess the one that will stand out the most was coloring with my Asha child. Also when we were at the orphanage seeing the girls bounce up balloons and one of the girls telling me that she did not want me to leave. The overwhelming feeling of hospitality that we receive while we are here will always be in my mind.

Judy-- Watching Bugagee & the elders dance and praise at Hatta is branded on my heart forever. And when he came to Sheela & David's to be interviewed and placed his hand on my head and gave a blessing. AND... watching all the women from all the states of India worship together- loving God. AND... watching the leadership and strength of Sheela Lall.

Tricia-- At the beginning of the women's conference a representataive from each state marched in displaying their state's flag. The colors of the flags were beautiful. It was so much more than I had expected. The flag ceremony made me realize how very important this conference was to those attending. On the first night a young girl probably about 12 or 13 years old sang in English"As the Deer." Her young pure voice resonated in my soul as God spoke to me through the Psalm.

Larry--Experiencing christianity blossom in India has been a blessing. It is reminescent of the first apostles spreading the Gospel to those who had never heard or expereinced the love of Jesus Christ. Contrary to our experience in the United States, the followers of Christ in India are subject to persecution. This brings a whole new meaning to the authenticity and sincerity of these people... It is inspiring.

Lezlie--It's hard to pick just one moment. Do I pick the lizard in Ashley & I's toilet, the lizard I found as I put my pants on one morning, or falling in a hole? Haha! There is no doubt I have made good and funny memories here in Damoh. One moment that definitely sticks out in my mind is our trip to Hatta. I was overwhelmed with the love that exuded from Bugagee as he broke bread with all of us. The welcoming smiles and laughs as I photographed the woman, cows, and sceenery will forever be etched in my mind. And photos of Bugagee standing in a beautiful field will soon be hanging on my walls at home.

Ashley--My memories from Damoh are much more simple than my friends. I will remember walking across the field towards the room where the conference was held watching the children find great joy in playing cricket. When I close my eyes, I see women from across the country of India sitting around a camp fire engaged in watching their friends perform tribal dances and songs. I will remember the sounds of India forever. The cars honking from the street, the songs from the Hindu temple echoing in the distance, and the sound of Subhu's wistle. I will always hold the simplicity and character of India in my heart!

Alan--My second time around has been rewarding in so many ways. From making new friends and bettering other friendships to having the opportunity to see the dramatic change the work being done here has accomplished. To narrow down my experience to a best memory is difficult, but if I must...Gandhigram, the village full of kids who previously had no future, has done a 180 with the support from the mission. This is where my heart was drawn during my first trip and I have been working at home to garner support for these kids. What a blessing to see these kids again, now that I recognize many of them from my work. They are very well behaved, learning so much, and growing up in a Christian environment. These precious creations of God are getting an opportunity to live a good life thanks to the work of the Mid India Christian Services and from the support they are now receiving from my friends and family in Amarillo. Thank You!

Lisa-What great memories! My favorite would be worshiping with the women at the conference. Now I understand why scripture says nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Language, dress, customs, etc; nothing was a barrier to worship. The bridge in our lives is that of King Jesus and that will never fade away.

Brian- my favorite memories have to be the impact that we have made in the Asha childrens lives. for us to come to them and share our time and lives is priceless. You cannot help but leave places like India changed. Once you see India and spend time with its people it forever changes you.

Connie ~ The Women's Seminar is definitely my favorite memory however one of my first impressions of worship at Nokelal's church has stayed in my mind from the beginning. To sit and see the joy on their faces as they sat beneath a banner that said "May the evil go away and the kingdom of the Sacrifice King come!" will be forever etched in my memory.

Day 11--Saying Goodbye

2009-01-24T04:55:00.004-06:00

Today was the last day for the women's retreat. It has been a huge success beyond our wildest dreams. So many women ready to take charge and bring Christ to their homes and their villages. Judy had the honor of giving the last session. Because these women live in a dangerous society believing what they believe, Judy inspired them to go forward with courage.

The men had another day to relax. I had the great opportunity to observe cataract surgery at the Eye Hospital. Fifty patients that were screened yesterday at the eye camp had their surgery today. Dr. Hema Bindu is the ophthalmologist on staff here at the hospital. She performed the first 8 surgeries, but because she is in her first trimester of pregnancy, another doctor from a local village came to help. I was amazed at how this facility can do so much with so little. Dr. Bindu asked if I wanted to help do the surgeries, but I had to decline. I have it so easy in the U.S. and I take it for granted when it comes to all of the technology we have to perform this delicate surgery. I feel I would only slow this well oiled machine down.

For lunch we had goat, only this time the goat came to us alive. The unfortunate part of this is that "Blackie", as we lovingly named him, was adorable. He frolicked as he ate leaves from a low tree. He danced around and smiled at us. We fed him by hand and then the time came. We watched with heavy hearts as the butchers led him to the slaughter. Mark watched as they led Blackie to the back part of the lot. The butchers had knife in hand as they knelt over Blackie and turned him on his back. Mark couldn't take it! He walked away sad because of the horror that befell Blackie. While I, Brian, again watched with sick pleasure. -Brian

After lunch, we had the distinct pleasure of experiencing a snake charmer. This time, he brought 4 cobras and they were extra feisty. Just seconds out of the basket and they were attacking each other. Hissing and bobbing and weaving at one another. After the snakes calmed down a little, most of the men had to prove their manhood by holding one of the cobras by its tail. Dr. Larry seemed to have the most to prove, although he looked good holding the cobra while wearing his new ladies scarf. He says he bought them for the staff...but he's wearing them too much with his new manbags!

Later, all the women got tattoos...henna tattoos. A new and exciting experience. Also, a few of us took a ride around the block on a bicycle rickshaw. These are three wheeled bikes with a seat for two behind the driver.

As we all pack our bags and prepare for the overnight train ride, we can't help but feel sad as we have all made great friends here. We have been pampered and fed well and every day was a new and emotional experience. I can speak for all of us when I say we all love India. Our heart felt THANKS to David and Sheela Lall--you are awesome! Thanks Godfather for everything; every request met with a smile and a nod--until next year! Thanks to the most amazing, most organized, most hospitable, woman in India! You are the heart of India!

Day 10--Women's Retreat

2009-01-23T09:17:00.004-06:00

At the end of our trip last year, God laid the women of India on my heart. Sheela and I visited and by the time we arrived in Amarillo, Sheela had already written out the agenda. I was overwhelmed at the thought of hosting 250 women for three days. Our God is amazing. As the year unfolded, the women's seminar came together. It is bitter sweet that it is almost over. I think we are all tired and ready to head home, yet at the same time we hate to leave this remarkable place and this amazing group of Christians.

Today I realized that to the women this seminar is the highlight of their year. This is a time that these ladies come together without their children and responsibilities of home to fellowship, sing, worship and most of all hear the word of God. I could compare it to HCC women's retreat, however 100 ladies sleep on cots in one large room with very little other accommodations, yet they are elated to be here. I am humbled to be in their presence.

The Lord has blessed all HCC speakers and brought the story of Esther to life. Even though each individual prepared their teachings independently, the Lord drew all His words together for His purpose to encourage the women of India to stand tall and walk boldly with the Lord; to be the women God made them to be yet be submissive to their husbands; to love the Lord and share His love with others.

Tomorrow we will physically leave these ladies but they will ALWAYS be in our hearts and prayers.--Tricia

Day 9--Women's Retreat

2009-01-23T02:11:00.004-06:00

The day finally arrived. For months we have had our speaking assignments and have struggled with "what can we say to these amazing women?" Fortunately our fearless leader, Judy Stallwitz, started off the morning with expressing the love that we brought from Hillside. Although she felt yucky from a bug that is going around amongst the foreigners (us), God spoke to all of us through Judy. She talked about the seeds that we can scatter in our own fields and watch as God helps them grow. The Aggies may not be scoring well in football, but our own Aggie Queen scored a win and gets the trophy!

Our seasoned mission trip extraordinaire, Tricia Hemelstrand, treated us in the first session by outlining the story of Esther. Connie Garrett went next and blew us away with thought provoking questions and amazing perspective. Connie claims to not be a speaker, but we have learned otherwise and she now has a second assignment Friday night...a reflective time of her experiences here in India. Sic 'em, Connie!

We have seen and heard so much here. My head spins from all that goes on. If you are a person that likes calm and quiet, India may not be top on your list of vacation spots. But if you want to be around people with hearts of gold and love for their country and countrymen, this is definately the place to be. I am one of the strange ones that likes quiet at home, but I have learned to listen hard to the sounds here. The cackling of the car horns makes me laugh and I'd love to have one of them for my car. I might describe life here as ironic. Again with the contradictions. It is noisy, and yet, it is quiet. Chaos reigns in traffic and yet the drivers are calm. The noise from the horns protect other drivers, biker and those walking including the cows; quiet on the street is eerie.

A sound that has brought inexpressible and glorious joy to my heart is the sound of the women praising our one true God. Can there be a sweeter sound? We came half way around the world and find we have more in common than not. It all makes me crave Heaven more but being here reminds me that the crops are ready and workers still few. I hope I never quit signing, "Pray for India, Pray for India, Pray for India; won't you join me? -- Lisa Bradshaw

Day 9--Supper for 325

2009-01-22T22:06:00.003-06:00

It is so hard to put into words what really went on today. But Ron and I will try. Today the menfolk started out the morning by heading to the market to buy fresh veggies for our chicken fajita feast. As before, we were the circus at the circus. The farmer's market opened about 10:30 am and is not comparable by anything we've seen in the U.S. They weigh the produce by a handheld scale and the produce is somewhat different than what we've got. The eggplants are green, the garlic is much smaller, etc. As we began to purchase our items, a crowd began to form. I guess you could say we kinda started a riot! We had to be sent back to the car so the crowds would disperse. Not many white boys at this market! We also bought water in 30lb bags. About 500 lbs worth. They came in a nylon bag and inside they had individual bags of water, kinda like an i.v. bag. We've never seen anything like that--they take the bag and tear off a corner and drink from it! Guess it is their version of the plastic bottle.

When we got back to our cooking site, and began to layout our menu items, we discovered that they had bought only one gallon can of pinto beans for our estimated 300 partakers. They don't do pinto beans here and weren't sure what we were going to do with it. Mark headed off with Max and Shireesh to another store to buy some dried beans. The closest thing we could find to pinto beans were Indian "rajma" beans, but they worked. We threw in some bacon , garlic, spices and cilantro and they turned out really great!

Around 1:30 pm, our dinner arrived on a motorcycle. 15 live fine specimens of the poultry variety. We were expecting around 150. Eventually we were told that we had received the honor of "killing" these 15 and thank God, they had already taken care of the rest. The chickens were tied together in three bunches of 5. They laid them on the ground for us to take care of. They stood back to watch us city folk make fools of ourselves. Finally, we begged for some direction. None of us had done this before. Then Mannee showed us the proper technique of chicken killing. He slid the knife cleanly across their neck and then with two or three quick strokes, the head came clean off. The head and eyes moved a little and then went lifeless. Also the blood began to squirt out of the neck as they flapped and flapped until finally they moved no more. Now it was our turn. Disturbingly Brian Nistler willingly grabbed the knife and went to work with no hesitation and I swear we could see blood lust in his eyes. He seemed to enjoy it as he took care of all but the last two. Then they told me (Mark) it was my turn. I have to admit, I don't think I've ever killed anything beyond an insect or two. If you know me at all, you know I am an animal lover. My biggest mistake; I never should have looked them in the eye. With one glance, I could see into their souls...they looked at me with sadness, begging for mercy, knowing their fate. I couldn't do it. But I knew I had too and yes, I bowed to the pressure of the moment...peer pressure...of Alan videoing and everyone saying "come on, you can do it!" Yes, I admit, I am weak! So I covered my eyes and slit the chicken's neck. And then the next. And now I will live with the guilt of being a "chicken killer" for the rest of my life. I snuffed out their lives so that I could eat a fajita or two later than night. I must confess, I would rather my chicken come in the nugget or tender form than live and in person. I don't think I will ever be able to look at a live chicken again without feeling like they know what I have done to their avian Indian cousin! I should now walk around with the scarlet letters CK on my chest! But I won't. I will hide my blood letting from all others...except those that read the blog :)!

So Mark cooked the beans, Larry Schaffer cooked the Spanish rice, and Ron sauteed the chicken fajitas, onions and green peppers. Alan, Brian, Mannee, Saboo, and Shireesh chopped and diced, tended the fires that we cooked over and did whatever we needed. It truly was a team effort to cook fajitas for that many people. But we desire to bring something Texan to them. What better than a Tex-Mex meal. We also had a team of three ladies and three other men that made the 600 tortillas and grilled them over an open fire. They were amazing. And it took them most of the afternoon. I will never complain about Hillside's kitchen again! I truly missed my luxurious work space. The warming oven, the gas cook tops at counter height. It was fun and challenging, but cooking facility was outside and the cooking utensils were primitive. The cast iron ladle/spoon/stirrer that we used weighed at least 15 lbs each. The cast iron wok and pans were absolutely huge and heavy and the fires were low to the ground. Our backs were feeling it by the end of the night.

The last thing we did was serve the women the meal. They weren't use to men serving them. In this culture it is usually reversed. We fixed their plates and handed it to them. They smiled but weren't sure what to do. They had never eaten a "taco" before. We showed them how, but most just ate them with their fingers as they do most meals here. It must have been good, because most came back for seconds and some even for thirds. Ron and I noticed that the smaller the lady, the more trips through the line they made! We enjoyed our time getting to serve them and they took time during their campfire to give us a round of applause. Then they asked what we were cooking tomorrow!?!? Tomorrow is goat, and I know I can't and won't kill and cook a goat. I'll eat it, but not if I have to do the slaughtering of it! Maybe we will leave that to Brian...watch out Amarillo for the chicken mass murderer Brian Nistler! :)

Day 8--Khajuraho

2009-01-21T11:07:00.006-06:00

We left around 7:30 this morning for Khajuraho. It was about a 3.5 hour drive northeast of Damoh. It is an absolute must site to see. Mark Twain’s quote is running through my head: “India is the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.” Khajuraho helps make that quote oh so true. The temple compound is a UNESCO/World Heritage site because of its artistically sculptured temples. The temples were built around 900-1200 a.d. The remaining 25 of the original 85 temples are a true work of art. Today we got to enjoy the outcome of dedication, courage, and patience with a hammer and chisel. Who would of thought with such primitive tools they could produce such magnificent sculptures. Yes, they are also known as the "erotic" or "Kama sutra (technique of love)" temples. Of course, the small percentage of the more erotic sculptures garner the most attention and photographs. But as our guide reminded us, it is pure art. The guide said that the temples stood beneath the jungle growth until 1925 when they were "rediscovered" for all the world to see. Today Khajuraho hosts a plethora of 5 star resorts, and is one of the three stops on the golden triangle along with New Delhi and Jaipur. It was well worth the drive to see.

On our way home one of the cars had a flat tire. While we waited on the street side, we became quite the spectacle. People began to gather to look at the lighter skinned folk. And I was once again reminded that we don't blend in; we are the "circus at the circus." That saying came from last year's trip when we visited a traveling circus here in Damoh and the locals were watching us "the circus" at the circus. It is really fun to watch the locals watching you. And we just know they are laughing at these crazy white people taking pictures of the strangest things to us but the most everyday things to them. I mean, how often do you get to see a water buffalo galloping down the street after her baby, who is being held by a man on the back of a motorcycle. Or a goat with a knit scarf being lead into a restaurant. Guess who's coming to be dinner? Dogs and birds picking off the last pieces of several cow and buffalo carcasses. A black faced monkey sitting on the stone bridge abutment. A panther darting across the road. Boys on bicycles strutting for pictures. A cock fight in between two vividly painted TaTa buses. A gorgeous pinkish hued sunset behind a jutting jungle mountain. The list of today's possible photo ops is endless...but 'tis everyday life in India.

We've been discussing this trip how India seems quite the land of contradictions...erotically sculptured temples, but no public displays of affection allowed on the streets. Fat goats in sweaters walking beside naked hungry children. Digging hand dug trenches to lay fiber optic cables. The worship of cows because they give you food and clothing amongst other things; but you don't kill them because they are holy! India is the world's largest free democratic secular society that is in essence run by the Hindu religious elite (which is a small percentage of the population). Billboards of "life-giving water" next to the world's dirtiest (so dirty nothing lives in it) river. And I could go on and on about the apparent contradictions; but I pause and wonder what is said of us and our "normal" way of everyday life?

Tomorrow starts the women's conference. Judy, Tricia and Connie will all be speaking on Day 1. Ashley, Lezlie, Lisa & Suzette will all be speaking on Days 2&3. The men folk will be cooking chicken fajitas, beans, Spanish rice, tortillas and salsa for about 300 tomorrow. I hear that most of the chickens are already "dressed." Shouldn't that be "undressed" if they are without feathers at that point? But the remaining few will be "prepared" by us...can't say I've ever killed my food. A city boy I am! This should be fun and we'll take lots of pictures and report our successes or failures tomorrow! A wonderful goodnight to my family and friends! --Mark

Day 7- Hatta

2009-01-20T01:07:00.007-06:00

We began another glorious day in India by heading out to Hatta. The morning drive was... interesting, because of an intense fog, a one lane road & tons of cattle, bikes & pedestrians everywhere. Welcome to India! When we arrived at Hatta, we were welcomed by our dear friend Bugagee, who announced "the darkness of this region is being overtaken by the Light." He also compared himself to a bulldozer, Mark as the engine to it and Hillside as its fuel. He made sure we knew that everyone attending had made a pledge to worship only ONE God and it was his goal for this movement to spread throughout India. He believes that Hatta, being in the center of India, is the heart of India- and will spread the love of God throughout India. What a proclamation!

However, the most touching moment was Bugagee thanking us for keeping him in our hearts. He looked at us with such humility and quietly said "If I cannot have a place in your hearts, please let me have a place at your feet." How humbling to have such a spiritual warrior asking for the pleasure of taking the dust from our shoes.

The children were amazing and so well behaved. We clowned around, made them laugh and shared the story "You are Special." Their faces reflected the hope of their hearts... that God loves them as much as He does anyone else.

After the movie, Bugagee brought out flat bread and coffee to our team. I was so surprised when he broke the bread and motioned for me to open my mouth. My second thoughts to accept were chased away by the warmth and love Bugagee pours in every direction. As I ate the bread, he began to dance and asked me to return the favor. When I fed him the bread, he began to dance and laugh even more. He did this with every team member, celebrating the "breaking of bread" with us.

Bugagee is at least 80 years old, but he doesn't really know for sure. He leads about 55,000 people in several districts as a spiritual leader. But it isn't himself he is asking thousands to worship- he is telling them all about the ONE God. There is no mistake that he loves the Lord, because God's joy is ever present. We believe this village has so much to offer in spreading the gospel in India, and also believe it is the next village we are to adopt and support. So get ready Hillside! There are about 175 beautiful, eager children who want to learn more about God! WE have a chance to be a part of this beautiful emancipation from a long legacy of religious bondage and caste abuse.

Before we left, Bugagee, some of his closest elders and leaders led us in worship. It was unforgettable. I looked up to heaven, the fog had broken and my heart soared with joy, agreeing with their worship and exuberance. He blessed us, said a prayer over our group and shared the church's immense appreciation for all Hillside is doing to support. It is humbling, because this beautiful, 80-something year old gentleman has put me to shame with his faith, wisdom, joy and commitment.

The church was surrounded by a wheat field, just like it is surrounded by a field of lost souls... so we hope you enjoy seeing Bugagee in the midst of God's harvest. This church is making an impact in a very dark place and we are so grateful for the chance to witness how they shine the Light. Jaijmasihki! (Praise the Lord) - With Love from India, Judy.

Day 6 -- Gandhigram

2009-01-19T09:21:00.003-06:00

Today was a day I have looked forward to for a long time. I first came to India a year ago planning to work in the Eye Hospital here on the mission campus. God had other plans. I felt a strong calling to help the kids in the mission's Project ASHA. ASHA (which means "love") is a child adoption program that provides all the needs for low caste children in small villages, including education and church.

Upon returning from India, several of us have worked very hard to get the program running in Amarillo. Today we visited Gandhigram, the first village of children for which we have been finding sponsors.

As we arrived to the meeting site, we were immediately surrounded by gleeful kids anxious to see us and shake our hands. Little did they know that our excitement probably exceeded theirs. Last year we only briefly visited with them. This year, we had the opportunity to play and teach them.

Judy had the full attention of over 85 little kids as she read the Max Lucado book "You Are Special." When she finished, the children exploded with applause. I leaned over to Judy and asked, "Have you ever received such an incredible ovation?" She then introduced the VeggieTales movie David and the Giant Pickle by telling the story of David and Goliath. The very talented folks at the media studio of the Mid India Christian Mission remarkably erased the sound from the English version and recorded new voices in Hindi. They were entranced by the animation as this was their first time to ever see a video.

Afterward, we divided the kids into smaller groups and each of us had the pleasure of playing Pin the Nose on Bob the Tomato. The kids had so much fun that some of the parents asked to have a turn. That created a ruckus.

We took photographs of each child and printed them with portable printers. We then taped the photos into a folded piece of paper and asked the kids to create a masterpiece with crayons we gave them. Kids and crayons, a win win situation. Once the children finished their drawings, they eagerly showed each of us...sometimes more than once in their exuberance. The joy on their faces overfilled our hearts.

As we loaded in the cars and drove away, you could tell in each of our eyes that this single afternoon made the whole trip worthwhile. --Alan

Day 6--The Tour

2009-01-19T08:39:00.004-06:00

Good Morning Indiiiiaaa! We started out with a fervent praise service with the MICM (Mid India Christian Mission) staff, the devotion was lead by Tricia. Many of the Hillside members were present. And, although the music was not as good as Hillside's, it was good anyway. Mama Pushpa then gave us a tour of the MICM facilities. The grade school and middle school emphasize three things: Christian values, English and excellence. The home for disabled children, Oasis of love and another home for abused and outcast women were true testaments of Christian love and compassion in a country where they are easily forgotten and mistreated. The college held its annual function and Mark Zimmerman gave a inspiring address with only minutes of preparation... that was impressive. The Eye hospital has all the equipment to provide over a hundred cataract surgeries a month. Dr.Alan McCarty will be treating a patient with calcification's in his cornea with chemicals ( a process known as chelation ). Go Alan!

On a very personal level I met a lovely lady Mohni who is 41 years old. She has cerebral palsy presenting as paralysis of her legs but not her arms and it certainly did not affect her mind. This beautiful woman, in mind and soul, was not welcome in her own home when her parents died. Her brothers tried to kill her and she was thrown out of her home because she was a burden to them personally and financially. Had they succeeded in murdering her, they would have taken her inheritance. Thanks to the women's center she became a part of this loving community. Since she cannot walk, they made her a tricycle to pedal with her hands. Gifted with tremendous creativity, they taught her to sew, knit and make beautiful clothes. During the college's annual function I chose to sit next to her in the back. It was the best seat in the tent. We did our best to communicate. Her interaction with others and even myself was a wonderful and endearing testimony of love and compassion to others. We have so much to learn from someone who has suffered so much. Through Christ her suffering gave her strength and an overwhelming compassion and love for others. It inspired me to be more forgiving of others and, perhaps, myself. --Larry

India--Day 4/5

2009-01-18T09:20:00.006-06:00

The team and all our luggage made it to New Delhi. They had a 3 hour delay in Chicago so they got into New Delhi at 12:30am. They got to the YMCA around 2am and then up at 4am and off to the domestic airport to catch the flight to Jabalpur. Tired and weary, they caught up with Mark, David and the Nistlers there in Jabalpur. We all went to a "satsang" with Nokilall and around 75 other house church leaders. It was awesome to watch them worship even though we didn't quite understand everything. We then went to the girl's orphanage and spent time with 23 orphans there. The girls sang for us, we gave them crayons and balloons and then took a tour of the orphanage. We then took most of the team back to the hotel around 4pm to crash for the evening. Mark, the Nistlers, Drs Alan McCarty and Larry Schaeffer convinced David that they needed some ICE CREAM! Wow! We ordered 2 chocolate sizzlers which is served on a sizzling fajita plate, brownie, a layer of vanilla ice cream, lots of hot fudge, a huge dip of chocolate ice cream, and then more hot fudge and almonds to top it off. It didn't take long to inhale both of them. The funny thing was that the first one came and everyone dove in, spoons dueling for hunks of brownie, David got a phone call and stepped away. By the time he got back--sizzler gone! The second one came and again spoons went digging into the brownie and ice cream. David again got a phone call and stepped away--and again, I am ashamed to report, we ate it all! Poor David didn't get a whole lot of sizzler--we'll blame the lion's share of the eating on Suzette! Alan and I swear she had two spoons going!

Day five was our first VBS day in a remote village called Sukha. What a fantabulous chaotic experience. I really think there were more adults there than kids and they loved the stories and Hindi version of Veggietales Dave and the Giant Pickle which we projected on a large screen. A whole lot of us were quite overwhelmed. I (Mark) was once again that I am not in charge...God is. Almost every plan we made was thrown out! And everything went just great anyway! It was so chaotic and out of control...but God knew what needed to happen. We planted seeds. We got to be the first white people to ever be in this village. There is a part of me that is quite concerned that we are now the image of the entire white race that these kids will have for the rest of their lives :)! I mean, the image of Ron Nistler as the model of the white race is now stuck in their heads forever! Poor kids! We're doomed! Even more I think they were interested in the technology of the white people more than anything else. We took lots of pictures and tried to print alot of them out for them. They would bring their whole families up, kids screaming and all, to have their picture taken. That was the first photo most of them have ever had of themselves. There were just way to many to print out while we were there. We'll keep printing them out and send some more back later. Judy read Lucado's "You Are Special" book and David translated it for us. All in all, it was quite an experience. Then off to Jabalpur for lunch (Chinese again, my 6th time since arriving, but it was still soooo good!). We have just arrived in Damoh and had supper, moved into our rooms and are trying to catch up on emails and skypeing to the fams. Tomorrow is VBS in Ghandigram and tours of the MICM compound. We stay in Damoh for the next few days and will have better access to internet service. Until tomorrow.

India-Day 2

2009-01-14T10:45:00.008-06:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I am not sure if that is enough to describe what I saw/experienced today. After an early morning flight from New Delhi to Jabalpur, David Lall and I drove to the second sacred or "mother" river after the Ganges, called Narmada. Today is one of many Hindu festivals where you go to the mother river for a "holy dip." This dip is to cleanse you of your sins for another year. Also, Madhya Pradesh, the state that Jabalpur is in, has a strict non conversion law. To convert you have to go through a bunch of legal hoops. Last year, David and Nokilall were reminded of the true meaning behind this festival. It was originally to commemorate Bilirajah, "the sacrifice king". Legend has it that Bilirajah was sacrificed for his people. I could go on for hours as to how God is using this "sacrifice king" legend in India. I truly believe what God started centuries ago was "for just a time as this" to quote the book of Esther.

Well, David and Nokilall have been encouraging these new converts to go to the river for their dip, but to do it this time in the name of Jesus Bilirajah (Jesus the sacrifice king). It is a loophole in this non-conversion law!!!!! Amazing! So over 3000 were "dipped" today in the name of Jesus! And they just blended in with the rest of 250,000 that were estimated to be at this river today. I have to admit, it was truly overwhelming. The sights, the sounds, the crowds, the smells. I couldn't tell who was ours and who was theirs. It truly was not the traditional church route...but to me was probably more like it was in the early church. Chaotic and exciting.

I have to admit I have mixed feelings about what I witnessed today. First of all, it was amazing in the fact of the commitment these people had to do this...we passed thousands and thousands who walked 10-20 miles to do this. They also came by train, bus, tractor, wagon, bicycle, rickshaw, auto rickshaw, motorcycle. It was amazing to see stream after stream of people who came to take a "holy dip." And in the midst of all this pandemonium, at 20 different sites along the river, over 3000 became new creations in Christ Jesus. At one site, Nokilall oversaw the "dippings" of over 800. He reminded each and everyone of them, that this year it was different. It wasn't a work to please a god or Brahman priest. This year it was about the grace of Jesus the sacrifice king. It was a matter of the heart, not a ritualistic dip to do repeatedly every year. Most of these had already accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but because of the non-conversion law, they hadn't yet been baptized. But because of a loophole, they were today.

On the plane I had listened to Rob's worship album. One of my favorites that I listen to over and over, is Majesty of Grace. Those words have never rang so true as they did today. Thanks Rob for your inspired words. 3000 received a new name today--from India's outcaste to child of God. But also, all the others, left today still captive to a false religion that shows no love, no mercy and no grace (no chance of salvation) in this life for the untouchables. They have not yet tasted and they have not seen the truth and beauty of his face, the majesty of grace. And that saddened me as we left. But God wasn't done with me today.

Tonight, David and I drove into the slums of Jabalapur. It is right in the middle of the "milatant Hindu playground" as David calls it. There has been alot of trouble in this area. David carried his gun, I wrapped up in a shawl to cover my graying hair, white skin and American clothing. We walked into the slums under the cover of darkness...not saying anything in English to tip someone off. I have to admit I was a bit nervous, but it was totally worth it. We worshipped with a house church that my friend Nanu (Smiley as I call him) started. These people have absolutely nothing. I mean NOTHING! The house we met in consisted of one room, one bed spring, no mattress, and 4 kids, a mom and dad live there. But these believers have "tasted and have seen the beauty of his face." And tonight they talked about the grace they have found. They shared of the joy that Christ has brought them. They really want for nothing. They have found sufficiency in the "Sacrifice King." I left there reminded that we all are on a life's journey seeking the truth, and when we find it, it sets us free indeed. That time of worship was soooo sweet and pure. Thanks be to God for safety, and for today's memories. I wish I could have shared it with you, because mere words will fail the true gift of today!

NOTE: The remainder of the team arrives Saturday and WILL NOT be traveling into the slums of Jabalapur for obvious saftey reasons.

India--day 1

2009-01-14T09:39:00.005-06:00

Day One--Interviews for Book

Today I will start interviewing for the book that David Lall, our missionary from India, will write together. The basis for the book is writing down some of these amazing spiritual journeys that we have witnessed firsthand. The story for me started 3 years ago when Tricia, Johnathan, Brad and I met with David, Nokalall, Nanu, and three others. This movement in Jabalpur and surrounding area started with these men. The next year I got to pour into 75 house church leaders. This year, at last count, these men have started 150-170 house churches. The largest is running around 150, but most are averaging 40-75 each. I will interview Nokalall and group in a couple of days. Today I am interviewing 6 leaders in the New Delhi area. They are the ones that witnessed to Nokalall and started him on his God-ordained path of Social Activism.

I won't give you too much detail of these men's stories...you'll have to read the book for that information:)! I met with Sunil Sardar, (second from left) whose brainchild this new Truthseeker movement was. You could see his passion for his countrymen and the hurt and weight he feels for the people because they have only been told the lies of Hinduism/Brahmanism. When they hear of the empowerment and freedom in Christ, it is very appealing to them. Dinesh Kumar (second from right) was an absolute joy to talk with. He is in his 60's, a former tax commissioner, and is a new babe in Christ. To see his zeal and fire for Christ is refreshing. Braj Mani (far left) is a very intelligent young man. He is a twice published author and former Times of India reporter and columnist. He is quite the wordsmith. He has offered to help David and I as we begin this writing task. Braj and Ramesh Gautam (not pictured) are both former Buddhists. It was interesting to hear of their plight as a religious minority (and still are!) The last two were caste leaders, K.K. Vaid (far right) and Shiv Kumar (center). Shiv is a leader of the shepherd caste. We had an awesome exchange about Jesus as our Shepherd and also as the lamb of God. More on these men to come.

India Mission Trip, January 2009

2008-12-16T14:42:00.008-06:00

Here is the basic itenerary for our Jan '09 mission trip to mid India:

Jan 15-16 Fly from Amarillo>Dallas>Chicago >New Delhi, arrive 9:30pm on the 16th
Jan 17 Early morning flight to Jabalpur...visit girl's orphanage & worship in pm with house church leaders...overnight in Jabalpur at hotel
Jan 18 Drive to Sakha...church and 1/2 day VBS in Sakha village...drive to Damoh...overnight in Damoh
Jan 19 AM tour of Mid India Christian Missions...PM 1/2 day VBS in Ghandigram
Jan 20 AM 1/2 day VBS in Hatta...PM r&r
Jan 21 All day trip to Khajuraho temples
Jan 22-24 Damoh Women's Retreat...theme: Esther--It's Tough Being a Woman
Jan 24 Overnight train to Agra
Jan 25 Early AM trip to Taj Mahal & Red Fort; shopping; train trip to New Delhi--sightseeing
Jan 26 Republic Day parade & sightseeing in New Delhi
Jan 27 Return flight to Chicago>Dallas>Amarillo

Mission Team:
Mark Zimmerman
Tricia Hemelstrand
Lisa Bradshaw
Ron Nistler
Suzette Nistler
Brian Nistler
Dr. Alan McCarty
Dr. Larry Schaeffer
Lezlie Andrew
Ashley Ingram
Connie Garrett
Judy Stallwitz

Last clinic day

2008-09-29T22:22:00.003-05:00

I know this post is late, but I wanted to let you know about our last clinic day. Again another God given opportunity to reach out to those who really needed our help. The people were amazing and the kids were fun to work with. One of the great treats we received was a frozen banana dipped in chocolate--they were awesome and most ate 2! At the end of the day we inventoried all the meds and supplies so that we can streamline for next year. It was a great exercise, because we noticed that we overbrought in some areas where we thought we would really need those meds, and we were also short in certain areas because we did not to expect to see so many patients with certain complaints; i.e. we saw alot with stomach issues vs. very little with infections. Our last day was loads of fun and we worked long hours. We didn't get back to the hotel until almost 7pm. We all were very, very tired. We had a great supper and then we packed up for an early 7am leave time for Antigua.

I can't speak for everyone, but I thought it was our best day--maybe because we had learned how to better do what we were doing. We laughed and cried and discussed our trip at our final devotion time. We shared what God had done, had shown and had called us each to do next.

Our thanks to all who sacrificed and gave so that we could be Jesus' hands and feet in Guatemala. We hope you are as blessed as we were! We can't wait until our next medical mission trip in 2009.

Guatemala patient count:

Total # of patients = 217 (medical)

Adults = 156

Children = 61

<5=27

5-18=34

Total # of patients = 178 (dental)

Total # of RX = 405 (medical)

Total # of RX = 84 (dental)

*Note: numbers are probably higher -- day 1's #'s are a rough estimate! But days 2-4 are close to being accurate!

Clinic day 3

2008-09-25T17:27:00.004-05:00

I have to admit, I am really tired right now. Today we were in the sticks...but what a view. The elementary school that we set up at, sat atop a ridge that overlooked a beautiful valley. In the valley is where most of the families live. I have to admit, the view today beat out any I have experienced in any other "working" situation. It was a great day all around and working today in the pharmacy was quite a joy...and I now have a whole new respect for pharmacists. All the counting...30, 60, 90 by twos. And don´t intterupt me, I will lose track and have to start over!! We filled and filled numerous scripts for all four doctors. But it was good to know that most would sleep better tonight than in the last many.

The whole team today worked really hard and most of them are now out shopping in Chichi. Today is market day, and the city came alive at 6am. You could hear the vehicles backfiring, the horns honking and the hum and buzz of excited merchants and customers. When I finally rolled out of bed, my first glimpse of the organized chaos was out my hotel room window. There a man was selling dead chickens, which he held by the feet and placed them into the customers shopping bags with whatever else was in there. Not quite the sights I see when I look out my bedroom window in Amarillo. But for those lucky few that were there at 6.30am, they will have one heck of a dinner tonight. We have eaten so much chicken here, I was glad to see those four dead ones leaving the premesis. Maybe we will experience something different tonight! NO POLLO!!!

I awoke rather early this morning and yet did not want to climb out of my warm bed onto the cold tile floor. So I grabbed my bible and for some reason was compelled to read through the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac there on Mt. Moriah. Not my usual morning reading. Today I was reminded that even though you may read a story 100 times, the Holy Spirit can teach you something new on the 101st time. For some reason, this story hit home for me in Guatemala and I understood it in a whole new light. If you remember the story, there are three main characters...Abraham, Isaac and the ram. To make a long story short, I had this picture in my head of Abraham and Isaac climbing up one side of the mt. and the ram climbing up the other. Neither of the parties knew the other was there. Neither of the parties knew the full story. Abe knew he had been asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac dutifully carried up the wood for the sacrifice. And I imagine the ram climbing higher and higher looking for food. As you remember, Abe lifts the knife to slay Isaac and the Angel of the Lord stops him. Abe passes the test. And there, caught in the thicket, is the ram. God had provided the sacrifice.

Here was what was new for me today in Guatemala. Sometimes we are like Abe, asked to do the seeming impossible. Sometimes we are like Isaac, we are asked to "sacrifice ourselves" for the greater good. And sometimes we are like the ram, we are the answer to prayer. This week, I think this team, myself included, has experienced times when we have been any or all of the 3. It has been a different one for everyone and a different one almost everyday, I am sure most would attest. I am not sure I have done justice to what the HS laid on my heart this morning...but I hope you can catch the drift here. It was just an interesting morning for me
and as I shared this with our team, I think it hit home...God has asked all of us to go far beyond our comfort zone, most have sacrificed vacation time, family time, money, etc. to be here, and most have realized that each of us this week were an answer of prayer for many who were hurting...physically and spiritually. I am sure every one last team member would tell you it was worth it...worth the sacrifice, worth the bumpy roads, worth leaving "life" for a week to be here.

Well, enough rambling...tomorrow is our last clinic day and then we transfer back to Antigua on Saturday...we will do some last minute shopping, and then its on a plane back early Sunday morning. I am excited to see what God has in store for Thursday.

2nd clinic day

2008-09-24T18:38:00.006-05:00

Today, 2 of our team members will update you...
Annette here in Guatemala! What a DAY!!! We traveled to our first Village to treat the people for many different illnesses and dental decay. The people here are beautiful! the smiles of the kids were amazing. Keith and Kurt played with the kids all day in the church while Calisse and I screened all the medical patients. We had a full pharmacy and dental clinic as well as a medical clinic set up in the Methodist church´s Sunday school class rooms and the kitchen. We saw about 100 patients total and we are ALL very tired. I have to tell you that the road was so bumpy on the way to the clinic church that we felt like we were on a very mogalie ski slope. We made it safely and all had fun. Last night we finally had beef instead of chicken for supper !!!! YAY! And we had PBJ sandwiches for lunch today - yum! At least it wasn´t chicken! The colors here are beautiful and the citizens wear all the colors - de colores!

Debbie Yarbrough here! I am so proud to be a part of this amazing team!!! They are teaching me so much about ministering to people!!! Sad to say, teeth are not very importante here!!!! We mostly pulled teeth. Massive amounts of decay. Could it have anything to do with the man that followed us around selling cotton candy to the kids?!!!! Thanks for all of your prayers. We are praying for all of you as well......

Mark here, before we sign off, there is one story I have to share with you...Dr. Larry Schaeffer came to us in the lab and told me about his patient. Tomas was around 16 years old and had been having seizures every day for the last 4 years and had never seen a doctor about it. Larry discovered that he had calluses on his knees and Larry asked him about them. Tomas told Larry that he had spent the last 4 years kneeling in the church that God would heal him. There had not been a dental or medical clinic in this village for at least two years. We figured that if we gave Tomas all the Kapra (sp??) we had that would keep his seizure free for the next four months and when we get back we will get more and send it back with Phil (our missionary here) when he comes for Missions Emphasis Week in November. Tomas touched all our hearts and will be one ¨story¨we won´t soon forget.
More on Thursday...

Our first clinic day

2008-09-23T17:59:00.006-05:00

Today, Tuesday, was our first clinic day. Up at 6am, breakfast at 7am, loaded the bus and drove to the clinic by 9am. When we arrived we were shocked at the length of the line! Today Drs John Hierholzer and Larry Schaffer saw around 40 patients. Everything from a 15 day old baby to, I think, a 75 year old lady was our oldest. We noticed alot of newly diagnosed diabetics today. Many of those spoke Kiche, a Mayan dialect, and we had to have 2 special translators just for them. The Drs Karr(Tom and Carter) saw around 40 dental patients also. Alot of teeth were pulled today...does the tooth fairy give for one of those? Of so, she`ll be really busy tonight. I heard that Dawn and Debbie even pulled one or two. The kids really enjoyed the coloring pages and spanish Veggie Tales we brought. Keith, Kurt and Sharon played ball and who knows what else in the rain with the little ones. Amy did a fantastic job in the pharmacy...but we knew she would. Cydney translated for Dr. John and Pennye, Jim, Calisse, Annette played nurse and were essential utility players at times. They made Mark sit in the corner and do absolutely nothing which is what his wife, that Politz guy and his doctors told him to do (that`s my story and I am sticking to it! Actually I took lots of pictures of the team in action.) It was a very busy and hectic day, but we were done and back to the Hotel San Tomas in Chichi by 4.30pm.

We`ll do some shopping and resting this afternoon, supper at 7pm, followed by devotions. Then back up at 6am tomorrow! Keep praying for us. We´re doing great...its cool and rainy and lush and green. We´re eating way to much and way to often, but who can say NO to such good looking food! Until tomorrow...

Day 2 Update

2008-09-23T17:48:00.004-05:00

We got to sleep in until 7am, breakfast at 8am and we hit the road by 9am. We drove from Antigua to the Tecpan Mayan Ruins. Impressive! Such building knowledge so long ago. Such knowledge lost to the world. The current Mayan´s pilgrimage each Monday to this site for ¨Blessings Day.¨ Again, my ignorance, as to the fact that the Mayan religion is still being practiced. Alot of the Mayan religion has meshed with Catholicism. Incense, icons, candles, flowers, etc. But the gods being prayed to are very different!

After the ruins, we headed for lunch where most of us took our own turn trying to make ¨gordito¨corn tortillas...its alot harder than it looks...the masa likes to stick to your hands. Thank goodness I never saw one of those, I would have passed. The meal was good, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes and goat cheese (we think...). After we left the restaurant, we headed toward Chichicastenango. We soon turned off the good roads and the adventure began. Less than an hour outside Chichi, there was a huge traffic jam. It seems there was a group of protesters blocking the road. They were protesting getting plastic driver`s licences...they preferred the old paper kind that you had to update often. Finally they gave up due to rain and the traffic started moving. We made good use of the down time playing cards, napping, playing scrabble (of which Mark won the game!) Therefore we arrived in Chichi quite later than we expected. We caught a quick dinner, chicken again, and then had our devotions and headed off to bed.

Day 1 Update

2008-09-23T17:43:00.003-05:00

We arrived at the airport in Guatemala City just fine, and to our amazement all our luggage was there! We had absolutely no problems with Immigration or Customs, they just waived us on. We met our guide Juan Tjo outside and he waived in our suped up Bluebird bus, ¨Super Nina.¨ Giovanni, our bus driver helped us load all 32+ bags. Then they took us into Antigua to Hotel Panchoy. It was very nice, had a great courtyard and everyone slept well.

September 23, 2008

2008-09-23T09:23:00.002-05:00

Mark called and said all is well. They have not been able to get to an Internet Cafe so until then he will call HCC and we will update the blog. Everyone is well. They were stopped for 2 hours on the side of the road from Antiqua to Chichicasternango because of a strike. I understood Mark to say that there were policy changes made in driver license procedures so some people decided to peacefully disrupt traffic in protest of the change. He said the team played Scrabble and got to know each other better.

Today the team is on the way to their first rural clinic in Chamanchaj. Everyone shouted hello to me on the phone so all is well.

September 22, 2008

2008-09-22T09:17:00.002-05:00

The team arrived save and sound in Antiqua. All their luggage arrived and all the medications passed through customs without a problem. The team will be visitng some Mayan ruins this morning before heading to Chichicastenango which is a 2.5 or 4 hour drive depending on traffic.

Guatemala, where the heck is it?

2008-09-08T10:43:00.003-05:00

I love to travel and this will be my first time to Central America. For the longest, I kept thinking Guatemala was in South America, guess I'm not smarter than a fifth grader. Guatemala is actually a country that sits at the northwestern tip of Central America. It's bordered by Mexico to the north, Belize and the Caribbean Sea to the east, Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the Southwest. Guatemala is just a little more than 40,000 square miles, that's slightly smaller than the state of Tennessee.

From what I have read, almost two-thirds of the country is covered by mountains, most of which are volcanic. There are some 33 named volcanoes in Guatemala, and my hope is that we won't be greeted by any of them personally!

Guatemala is a land of many colors and cultures. I am excited to spend our free day in Antigua, a small colonial city that for a couple of hundred years was actually Guatemala's capital city. That was until a series of devastating earthquakes which forced the inhabitants to flee. I look forward to walking those cobblestone streets and seeing the restored colonial-era buildings, the grand churches, convents and monasteries. I can't wait to smell the roasting of the coffee beans at the "coffee" museum. I'll tell you more when we're there and when I get back! Until then...

Guatemala Medical Missions Trip

2008-09-08T09:46:00.005-05:00

On September 21, 2008, a team of 17 will embark on Hillside's first Medical Mission Trip. We will be partnering with Dr. Phil Plunk of Project Salud y Paz. Below is our team and our itinerary. We will update this site with stories and pictures from the field. Most of all, don't forget to pray for our team and for the Guatemalan people we will work with.

Hillside Team:
Sharon Albracht-Parr
Cydney Burkhalter
Amy Cunningham
Pennye Fitch
Dawn Heck
John Hierholzer M.D.
Annette Jenks
Carter Karr D.D.S.
Thomas Karr D.D.S.
Calisse Nix
Tommy Politz
Larry Schaeffer M.D.
Keith Shelton
Kurt Vogeler
Jim Wilhite
Debra Yarborough
Mark Zimmerman

Trip Itinerary:
Sunday, Sept 21
Fly Amarillo to DFW to Guatemala City (Overnight in Guatemala City)

Monday, Sept 22
Travel from Guatemala City to Chichicastenango (Overnight in Chichicastenango)

Tuesday, Sept 23-Friday, Sept 26
Clinic days in various villages (Overnight in Chichicastenango)

Saturday, Sept 27
Free day in Antigua (Overnight in Antigua)

Sunday, Sept 28
Fly Guatemala City to DFW to Amarillo