Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Life Update

This was written to the people of Grace Community Church in Gresham Oregon where I've recently come on staff. I see God's hand everywhere and I'm thankful.

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Greetings Grace,

My name is David Piper and I love Jesus.

 

In 2014 I married my best friend and Air Force vet, Lauren Elizabeth. In our first year of marriage, I got brain cancer (my timing isn’t always that great), but by God’s grace, I’ve been cancer free since 2016. We’re currently expecting our first baby this February, and we couldn’t be more excited.

 

I grew up as a kid in the Bay Area, California, but would call Sequim, Washington home since 1997. Billy Graham led my father to the Lord in 1964; 20 years later my father led my mother to Jesus before dating and marrying her. I accepted Christ into my heart when I was 2 and was an evangelist at 3. It wasn’t until I was (nearly) 22 though that I fully surrendered my life to the Lord in Chimaltenango, Guatemala while serving people with disabilities. I preached my first sermon a week later to drug addicts and prostitutes on the streets of Honduras and the rest is history. 

 

Prior to getting married in 2014, I studied theology in Auckland and have been in pastoral ministry since 2008. I’m currently a student at Western Seminary where I met your beloved Gerry Breshears. If you didn’t know this, Gerry is your biggest fan and talks about you all the time. All the time. If his wallet was big enough to store all your pictures, he would. 

 

I was first introduced to this loving community of believers through Gerry in 2020 when he set me up to interview Rhonda Patrick for a class I was taking. In that project, I wrote about how it would be neat to attempt to do some of what she did, somewhere, someday. Little did I know that that’s what God had in mind for right here and right now.

 

Today, my wife and I look forward to getting to know you and hearing your story. God is doing something in Gresham, and we’re excited to join you in this adventure. 

 

His,

 

David and Lauren Piper 

Saturday, April 30, 2022

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Day Six

 Sick as a dog today. Slept all day Tuesday, felt great on Wednesday - ate something terrible that night, and now I’m hurting again. Bright yellow. Started some antibiotics - hoping to rally by tomorrow morning for the flight home. Here are a few shots from today before I fell asleep in our van in the beautiful city of Antigua -

Hotel in Chimaltenango 

Convent in Antigua




Hilltop overlooking Antigua 



 

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Day Five


Our final day went without a hitch with all hands actively on deck. We finished the house in a record 4 hours and the whole team is back to (nearly) healthy. It was truly a great day.

With no shade in sight, this could have been a brutal day if it wasn’t for the wind

Getting set up 

Incredible setting


Oscar, David and Maria


The Caulkinator 


Micah looking sharp


Building the bunkbed with the boys


Carson recently got married and his amazing wife let him come to Guatemala for his ‘honeymoon’


78% recovered - feeling good after sleeping all day Tuesday


Nearly there


Pastor David


Ayden worked his butt off this week


One last roof to put up

                                 That’s a wrap 



Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Day Four


They say the “proof is in the pudding,” and these smiles speak volumes. After a slow start because of a protest (due to rising cost of living) blocking the road, the team was able to arrive to their third build site.

Myself and another teammate had a pretty rough night due to stomach issues, and were compelled to stay back today. Please ask God for a good nights rest and healthy  Wednesday.  

All of these photos are courtesy of David Rivers and Micah Iriye. The team was able to utilize Glenda’s four sons in helping build the house for added joy.

It’s hard to believe, but tomorrow we will build our 4th and final house and complete our major projects here in Chiquimulilla.


Unloading the sharp sheet metal


Transporting to site

Utilizing the boys


Trimming the pieces for a seamless fit

You’re never to young to work with power tools


If pastoring doesn’t work out, David could make it as a model 

                         Installing the windows


Installing the door




Coating the house for longevity 


Special thanks to Cornerstone Builders for sponsoring this entire house and changing a single mothers life forever 



Monday, April 25, 2022

Day Three



Today we broke into teams once more and built another house in the town as well as visited homes and heard peoples stories in the remote Chiquimulillian countryside. 


Each of the four families we visited today had experienced significant gains and losses. One particular father noted that he wasn’t sure about God as it didn’t seem like he was there for them. 


Trite Christian platitudes really don’t cut it in the back-of-beyond-countryside, in the face of real suffering. 


Ben had us read John 16:33 as he unpacked hope for today in the hope beyond this world in Christ. This isn’t to excuse not building for a better today, but doing so in light of the coming eternity with Jesus. 


Each family got a month supply of food and their first Bible. Having a tear filled Abuela pray a blessing over you is completely humbling. 


Please continue to pray for the health of our team. Three guys came down with heat exhaustion while building, and light, heat related stomachaches abound. All in all, it was another great day. 



Todays home build took place down a tiny alley way off of this tiny road


Hearing the stories of mothers are powerful



Cattle crossing 



The kindest, most hospitable people



                             Vibrant family 



“Lord, please kill the things [bugs] that want to kill us… ok, dig in guys.” - Ben



                     Telling the story of Jonah



Soccer in the street with the team



New home blessing



Overjoyed



Smile


Curious cats



More humidity than you can poke a stick at




Sunday, April 24, 2022

Day Two



Today was one of the more special days of my life. After another beautiful Guatemalan breakfast, we set out to build Margarita’s home, the house my father provided for her. As it was her daughter Lesly’s birthday on Friday, we sang Happy Birthday and gave her Lindt chocolates on arrival. I also gave her the (Guatemalan flag blue) teddy bear that was given to me on the day of my birth as something stirred within me a week ago to do so. Her face lit up.

In the afternoon when we brought her an ornate cake from the city, her mother wept. She shared with me that after their father died, she wasn’t able to provide a Birthday for her daughter. In turn, I was able to just make it behind the new house to weep. The setting and mountainous backdrop were incredible. It didn’t rain on us, thank you for praying. 


Later in the afternoon there was a big commotion. Mitchell came over to alert us that there were a number of vehicles containing men with guns coming towards us. My heart dropped a little. 


Shortly thereafter it dawned on me that it must be the mayor that donated the land, and I, thank God, was correct. I was able to tell him my fathers story of donating this house before he died in January and pray a blessing over him and the family with Pastor Mitchell. 


Truly an incredible day that none of us will forget. 


The last thing my father ever did is now done. The work is complete. 







Surveying the site


First wall going up


Two walls


Bunk bed done, house nearly there


Building the patio


The neighborhood girls were quite taken with “El Blanco Dragon” (The White Dragon) aka Silas


12 year old Lesly cuts her Birthday cake…


…and enjoys a bite 


“Dear Lord don’t let it rain before we close the roof in Jesus name”


Go time


We made it (literally and figuratively)


No caption needed


On the way out the whole family received new clothes from Pastor David and Micah