Happy Holidays

You know what Im thankful for (other than getting to spend the first Thanksgiving in years with my parents... out of country) .... well thats you guys !!! I love each and everyone of you JH'ers , even Chris Lopes . It is my prayer that you would recognize all the amazing things that God has blessed you with , your strengths+weaknesses - God made you and you are a SPECIAL creation , that is enough in itself to be thankful for . On top of all that He sent His Son that we may have a more perfect relationship with the One that has created us .


In this holiday season its easy to forget about why we celebrate it - even I get caught up in the commercialism . I had a pretty sweet list of stuff I wanted from Mom and Dad going for about two weeks when it dawned on me that I had everything I needed . I scaled my list back to a swains gift certificate for slippers and maybe a new shirt for Sunday . I have been thinking alot about the Advent Conspiracy movement and the gravity of importance it holds . Check it out sometime between stuffin your face with turkey and seconds on the mashed potatoes (yummy!) .
Be sure to keep the Seahawks in your prayers - Thank you guys for being awesome.

Love / His ,

Pied Piper

Video of Guatemala I found on Youtube

See if you can catch me at 0:31-0:32! I have a hat on and Im wearing a blue Nike Shirt!!!!

Dr. Daves yardservice

Gutters , Hazardous/view blocking branch removal , pruning , painting , weeding , hedging , gravel/bark installation , roofing shingles (removal) , furniture moving/house mover , plus anything else you can throw at me . Get your house ready for the long winter months -

Prompt , hard working , honest , dependable . $15 an hour for misc work . $18 an hour for moving furniture etc . 360 477 2340

David is currently looking for side work .

Coming Home

I will update all 200+ photos I have to the links when I get home to PA on Thursday the 18th . Tonight I fly from Tel Aviv at 1am to Brussles for a layover then on to Seattle . Thank you all for your prayers of safety and health they have worked . So many incredible things have happened I will have to share with you in person , just to capture a bit of my last few days - I slept in Jerusalem outside under the stars (there were a couple) in the Garden of Gethsemane then watched the sunrise from the castle like walls of the old city . I saw where Jesus entered the city on a donkey , where the last supper was ... where He was crucified....... etc etc etc . To much for the senses to take in , it was truly incredible and a blessing for me to get to be here . Awesome . 

Well see yall real soon. Thanks for reading . 

His

David

The Holy Lands

I wrote this a day ago and didn't post so Im writing more at the bottom......

This week has been amazing , since leaving Rome and arriving into Athens there had been a lot of running around and barely catching trains etc but now it has just been time to enjoy the beauty of the city . After spending time with my hilarious Greek friend Krek in Athens viewing the ancient Olympic structures and the Acropolis I took a ferry down south to the amazing island of Paros . It was awesome to be on the sandy beaches all day but what also struck me was the history of this whole area . The disciples had landed on these shores and the surrounding areas for the first “missions” trip in the history of the church . What I already believed to be true is now visibly coming to life . Since Paros I got on another ferry south to the world famous Santorini which boasts the most spectacular sunset over the mediteranion sea . The island itself is a volcano with black sand beaches as well as mountainous peaks over the water . I wont be able to describe the colors I saw because Im not sure I had seen them before at the time of sunset , I have a few photos but they wont be able to do it justice . Ran into a sketchy dude that rented scooters which provided for much excitement that night as his sketchy rusty scooter key ended up breaking in the ignition and he couldn’t understand how his fine machine could ever ever possibly break down . He reminded me of a really crooked car salesman , I learned abit of a lesson that night ….. ask me more about this later Im leaving out a lot of details on that one .

 

That night took the 3am ferry to Crete and Im just baffled by the history , things I learned in a crusty old 8^th grade history book came alive like never before and I started remembering things that Mr Crook said about the ancient Greeks and the structures at Knossos etc . I spent the rest of the day on the beach and late tonight I fly into Cyprus before making my final stop in Israel . Another fun fact , someone cross check me on this one but remember about the family (man and wife) that held back some of the profits on there sale of land and claimed to give it all to the lord – well tomorrow Im going to be in that same area . That’s just wild to me , I praise God for this opportunity daily . Israel is still what this trip is all about and I think the things I have witnessed are leading up to a big crescendo as I very shortly will see where Jesus walked and preached . This is extremely important to me and if I could ask for your prayers for this final stretch of the journey as growth takes place and new things are revealed to me . Ecstatic .

 His ,

 David  

Update:

I have since spent the day on Cyprus camping underneath the stars and viewing the ancient seaside castles . I got into an amazing conversation with an ex-drunk from Denmark that went through AA and got sober/found God . Awesome . 

That night I flew into Israel after a being screened 3 times for security never so excited in my life . As we touched down in Tel Aviv my heart raced with excitement and I honestly felt for some reason that I was coming home , or that I belonged there - Im not sure why . 

Today I attended a birthday party for my friends friend in Tel Aviv , tomorrow I will be swimming in the River Jordan and Sunday I leave for Jerusalem to see what I came for . Ecstatic . Its amazing to talk with Jewish people listening to there perspective of God and politics and how a nation with enemies on all sides can survive . I've learned more in my first day here about Israel than I have in my life . Please continue to pray for me in this incredible time . 

My trip ends so quickly and I wish I would have been here longer . See yall in Seattle at 1:05 pm Wednesday the 17th..... : ) 

A whirlwind

Continuing on from that last update.... So after seeing the beauty of Michelangelos paintings it really got me thinking . His most famous work in the Sistine Chapel shows God stretching his loving arms out toward man as we (man) just hold out our hand limply without much effort . Sad but true . It was awesome to see the Egyptian Museum in the Vatican as well as where the apostle Peter was buried . Im not sure why but seeing his final resting spot made me break down a bit . I think it was good to see that in my time running up to where Jesus was buried in Israel then rose again 3 days later . 

There was a huge riot in Rome that night as a rowdy Futbol fan was killed by Italian police , the game was cancelled and Rome was in a uproar . In the trainstation near my hostel there was blood on the floor and trash cans scattered everywhere as the Italian Swat was working to restore order . In certain sections of town cars where being burned but I didn't see any of that .  Nike hosted "the Human Race" a marathon taking place all over the world and then a free concert at the end . In Rome the band Subsonica played in a HUGE outdoor field with 10,000? people and I was in the crowd . It was amazing as it was directly next to the Coloseum where gladiators fought . It was all almost to Epic to comprehend . Italian pizza is really good , so is there gelato . nuff said . 

The next day woke up and had some espresso and toured the cities cathederals etc (ask me about this later) and then I took a train to the airport to fly out to Greece . Landed in Athens and I have since seen the Acropolis and the peoples market , I spent some time eating Gyros (mmmeaty goodness) on the beach and now Im back at my friend Costantinos house but his nickname is Krek updating and emailing everyone . Tonight I take a 9 hour boat ride out to the Greek Island of Crete to relax on the beach then head toward an Island named Santorini off the coast of Turkey for the worlds most epic sunset Im told . Greece is so much cheaper than the rest of Europe and Im very happy for that after almost going broke in spain .  In about 5-6 days I will be in the Holy Lands where I plan on spending the majority of my time reading my Bible and focusing on my relationship with God . I get to see where Jesus walked and Ive never been so excited to go to country before . Keep me in your prayers for this leg of the journey and how my heart and soul will be receptive to the new things God will reveal to me.

His and yours , 

Piper

Around the world

Not sure how long this will be , just a quick update....

Landed in Morocco , saw the Mosques of Casablanca and the beaches of Tangier before leaving by Ferry to spain . Once in Europe I discovered how amazingly beautiful and amazingly expensive it is compared to anywhere else... the dollar doesnt go very far . Spain was amazing . I participated in the Tomatina , the largest tomato fight in the world . It was epic , the whole city was soaked red and i still have tomato coming out of my pockets a week later . The beaches were nothing short of Spectacular . Madrid was nice , Valencia was incredible and Venice Italy so far has taken the cake . With its tranquil water ways and cobblestone roads there is nothing else in the world comparable to its beauty . I recomend everyone to go there . Now im in Rome viewing the incredible paintings in the Pantheon , today I tour the Sistine chapel as well as the Vatican , tonight the Coloseum where gladiators fought.... the pope is also suppose to make a appearance soon in the vatican . Tonight there is a huge concert put on by Nike for the Human Race 10k run free in Rome and it boasts a variety of musical talent . This is a bare bones update.... I will have pics etc when I get back . Love yall , thanks for your prayers... Im safe and healthy after leaving with the flu . I will update more once I get into Greece and Israel ( :

Europe/Africa 2008 trip

Piper leaves soon . Sadness .

Wednesday August 20 @ 12:55 PM I will be flying from Seattle to Morocco , Africa . I will be gone for a month spending time with friends and visiting various countries : Portugal , Spain , Italy , France , Greece .... if you know people in the area let me know . davidandrewpiper@yahoo.com

September 17th @ 1am I will be flying from Tel Aviv Yafo , Isreal home to Seattle .

Piper 360 477 2340

Im going to fort worden with some JH students on Saturday . Jenny Forberg is putting it on , and Im just tagging along . Call her at 360 477 2781 for more info . You must provide your own ride / food . This is not a DCC event , just a fun event for Saturday the 28th of June .

NEW WEBPAGE!!!

www.dccjuniorhigh.com is where the action is!!!! It is the new and official page for all things JH this Summer.... thanks for making the transition... tell your buddies.

This page is going back to what it was before , just my boring old page about boring David things .

His,
David

WRAP UP

GRAD PARTY . JUNE 20th @ DCC . BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR. ALL JH WELCOME , BRING AMIGOS . It will be huge . Starts at 5 ... end time 12 am

Bring: 4 bucks
Bring Extras to Share: Brownies , cookies , pop.... etc etc etc
Bring your favorite PG movie on DVD .... starwars ... Indy..... etc .... return to me
BRING XBOX 360 / Wiiiiiii / PS3 ....

<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>




360.477.2340 ........

Ground Zero

Tuesdays Cleanup pictured above. Among the things we salvaged (spoons , knives) we found pages of the Holy Bible.

As I visited Tracy in her temporary lodgings at Sequim Bay , she could only fight back tears of gratitude as I shared with her what the Junior High did for her . Her face lit up . God will take an ugly situation and make it beautiful , keep Tracy in your prayers.

What the JH did was really the tip of the iceberg , so much more needs to be done and Tracy has ran out of money staying at Hotels for the last month . Her house burned down on Mothers Day ; due to her heart complications she needs to use oxygen tank . It caught on fire . She was unharmed by Gods grace and escaped her Diamond Point house. She doesn't have home owners insurance and is barely getting by.

Someone donated a trailer for her to stay in , but I think more can be done .

Her immediate needs include..... Money!
If God puts it on your heart to give , contact myself at 360.477.2340

Things that are needed to be donated.....

-An electrician to hookup a 220V / 110 V for her trailer .
-A plumber to hookup a hose for her property .
-A logger to remove 6 large cedar trees and remove from property .

-Top Soil
-Plants/Flowers
-Grass seed
-Money for her to eat and start a new life.

Please share this article with others , let us as the body increase awareness! If you know of someone willing to donate or good with Electrical/Plumbing things be sure to let them know about this situation.

Stay tuned for future cleanup days to be scheduled .

Mathew 35 V 35-40

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Amen.

Monday house fire outreach/cleanup update.

Tracy Hammil , a Sequim woman and fellow believer lost all the earthly things she owned in a catastrophic house fire . It ran as an article in the Gazette about a month ago .

The DCC Junior High has taken on part of the cleanup effort out at 373 Madrona Pl. in Diamond Point . We will be meeting this Monday rain or shine (more like rain or rain) @ 4 pm to do some general cleaning of her property.

10 Junior High students have signed up for Monday and its neat to see there hearts to serve the community in which they live in , essentially being missionaries to the United States .


Now the Info :

When. Monday the 9th starts @ 4pm until you need to leave....

Where. Location : We will meet on the scene, 373 Madrona Place Diamond Point

Why. We are one BIG family

What. Things to bring include : A metal rake , shovel , wheelbarrow , sturdy shoes , gloves and boots. There is a large trash dumpster onsite that we will be loading debris into

Cost: Only if you have it (not required!) , but it would be neat to see everyone who came put in a few dollars or so to a grocery fund for Tracy that we will give her at the end

Contact myself at 360. 477. 2340.
or online at davidandrewpiper@yahoo.com


If God puts it on your heart to donate your time or anything else , don't hold back.

Run.... Hide! - PAINTBALL UPDATE

..... Do not mess with Sam........... Oh wait is she getting an upgrade? Now thats just plain scary .

Check out the JH page for tons of new photos and activity updates .

UPDATES GALORE!

Plenty of updates on the JH page and the volunteer section , be sure to check out..

Paintball
Cleanup for a victom of fire
Graduation Celebration

etc.... stay tuned for wood chopping fundraisers

The world is safe once again.....

.... What a great night! Updates on JH page..

URGENT!

Changes!!!! This Friday at DCC has been triple/quadruple booked because of a wedding there saturday and a group camera group meeting in the chapel . NEW PLAN SAME TIME . The time is still Friday at 4 at DCC , nothing has changed... but after that we are hopping in a van and going to INDIANNA JONES at Deer Park at 7:30 . Because it is a new movie we will be there about 2 hours early to ensure tickets .

The Plan:

Gather at DCC at 4pm this Friday . Time has not changed nor the location.
4:30 We leave for Deer Park . Movie starts at 7:20 return and pickup at DCC at 10pm

Needs : A parent to Drive , Waiver forms (can be downloaded off DCC's website) for each student.

Cost: 9 bucks? for movie ticket , gas is going to be covered by DCC!

Time: 4pm start , 4:30 leave , 10 pm back at DCC .

contact me 360 . 477 . 2340 for questions!

Yes... the Update

CARNIVAL NIGHT

Welcome to the page , I will do my best to update twice a week with photos and summer updates . After tonight's meeting I want to reiterate that Im here for you and want you to call me first and at anytime (Im a student so I stay up very late and get up very early... except for saturday) . Junior High updates generally wont be complete on this page but it will be a quick read , the Junior High link in the ministry links section is your gateway to all things JH .

My cell is 360. 477 . 2340

My email is davidandrewpiper@yahoo.com I check it frequently for business things etc so you can catch me almost anytime .

....in closing , the sites name was for when I was out and about and my family needed a way to catch my updates quickly , I would have made the name dccjuniorhigh.com or something like that but Ive had the site for awhile and recently converted it to the current state its in .

This will be the best way to get information this summer and it will be the most current and up to date info . You can leave me comments just below this in the "leave comment" tab at anytime.


While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen . For the things which are seen are temporary , but the things which are not seen are eternal .
Corinthians 4 v.18 -Amen

God Bless
Yours,

David

PAINTBALL @ Firwood May 31st

Junior High Updates on JH Page.... Ch Ch Check it out .

Game/Movie Night! - Wood Choppin for $$$

Check the JH section for full details and photo updates on photobucket.....!!!!!

-Dave

Updates! April 20th!

This last Friday night of movies and pizza could have only been topped by chopping wood the very next day ! Click on the "Volunteers" link to the left to find out more about what happened on Saturday (once you are on that page , click on the volunteers pics on the top left to view more than 10 new photos!) . Photo above: After working hard for nearly 4 hours we finished and had some fresh made home-brewed hot chocolate . Fantastic job Junior High Crew , way to serve the community and reflect Christs love .

Pursuit of a good movie....

This Friday @ DCC the JH is watching Pursuit of Happiness starting at 7pm . Bring $3.62 for pizza and pop . Be there . Bring your friends . Bring your friends friends .

Contact me at 477 . 2340 for more info or if you (as a parent) would like to donate food/your time etc.

Dave

Updates! Check out the Junior High link to the left with details and many photos of this last Friday night .

-Be sure to check the new work service link / volunteer page on this weeks wood-chopping events !

-This FRIDAY the 18th will be a movie night on the 2 ENORMOUS new screens . Time and cost is T.B.A. at youth group on Tuesday . We will be watching "The Pursuit of Happiness" and eating various junk foods .

To get involved or donate call/email me at 360. 477. 2340. or davidandrewpiper@yahoo.com

Navigating the new site

Hey all , a quick walk through:

The links to the left here will take you to where you want to go ie "Junior High" will take you to the new Junior High youth group page where you can see whats going on as well as links to specific related photos of previous group events and upcoming . If your in HS you won't find your pics there...

Along with Youth Ministry this site will also be dedicated to outreach in the community and volunteering . Each week new events will be posted where there is a need in Sequim . "They will know us by our love." Check out the "Volunteer" link on the left where JH and HS can lend a hand and receive community service hours as well . (you don't have to fall into those two categories if you want to serve as well)

The Home page (where you are reading from now) will just be updates and stuff in my life etc and my photos of different countries can be found in the "my world pics" link . They are separate from youth group pics.

My number is 360.477.2340 if you have questions etc . I can be reached on the net @ davidandrewpiper@yahoo.com

feel free to just leave a comment in the comment box below

His,
David

Sorry.

It's been along time . By the end of this week the site will be re-vamped etc to feature Middle School and High School youth group and photos of the weeks events etc etc . I'm currently in process with a possible mission trip to Afghanistan lord willing , getting mentored/bible studies , leading Middle School youth group / helping with HS , volunteering with the Sherrifs Department as a special Deputy , wrking for Vern Frykholm my mentor at the Mini-Storage facility and starting a new ministry in Sequim Wa . Could you pray for me during this time? God is so good and everyday I find new joys of being in His will . Life is good . Will update soon so parents can see there kids in action on tuesday and wednesday nights.

I will be updating the site regularly again shortly.......

love,dave

Missionary to the United States

Back home and it feels alright . I spent 4 days with my uncle in California after a flight and a layover . The people sitting next to me on the plane from Florida to California where/are huge advocates to the Haitian people working with (raising money/leading etc etc) Wyclef Jean , Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie . I got to share with them my experience and I was excited to hear about theres . I meet amazing people . God is so good to me .

My first sunday home I had a tough time with the worship music , its much different from Guatemala . I have been actively seeking a mentor to disciple me and Im getting back into middle school youth group ministries after a meeting with Paster Wayne today . I took my grandma out to the Oak Table and it was good to see her . I have yet to go to Bellingham to visit my other friends . Pray for Gods will to be done in my life , for a mentor , for my application to Afghanistan and for where to attend college . To be honest , the site might be boring for a few months but I will try to update with photos and youth group events as often as I can from this country.

love,

Healing

Thank you to those that were praying , it was incredible. Saturday was actually cancled and it was moved until today because the police had raided the street right before we headed there , the people we were going to minister to were either hiding or arrested . As I spoke I felt an authority I had never felt before , fearless even in a very gritty section of the city . This is something I dont really want to write about , you can email me about it if your interested , this article could never do the experience justice .

Tegulcigalpa Honduras

Just stealing a few minutes away of computer time . The last few days I had a wonderful time in Antigua setting up websites for 3 different missionaries with a total time of over 22 hours in 3 days on the computer (a personal record) . To be honest it was relaxing to have some down time at Denny and Phyllis house in a quiet section outside of town . Church was amazing .

Tuesday morning at 3 am I got up and caught the bus to visit my good friend and Pastor Maiko . The only problem was when I got into town I realized that I was in a bad area of town . I walked outside the station and Maiko was nowhere to be found (there are two stations in town) . I quickly realized that my cellphone didnt work and I had no Honduran currency to make a phone call . I was quickly looking around at the taxis that would gladly take all of my money , as they smiled devious smiles . I managed to find a telephone in a small tienda that I talked into excepting my "fake" guatemalan money . 3 bucks for a 2 minute phone call only to realize that I had stored the wrong phonenumber in my cellphone . No money , check ... bad section of town , check ....... No friends for miles etc etc . I sent up a few quick prayers and they were answered shortly by a girl named Annais that was a Honduran from LA visiting her mother in Honduras . With her perfect english she asked if I was lost.... Im not sure if my gringo backpack and the stupid look on my face gave it away . Long story short , she and her boyfriend from France took me to her mothers house and tried to cook me dinner . I was so grateful that strangers would take me in , God blessed me and it opened up an oppurtunity for me to share christ with them . Maiko arrived at the house 30 minutes later and my adventure was coming to a close .

The last few days have been a nonstop whirl-wind and God has been revealing himself to me in huge ways. The first day we painted a church (I dont have pictures yet , but picture mexico on stilts for the church) and it was quite the challenge . I found out that the guys have a Halo (video game) ministry so that was amazing . Thursday slept in and did alot of praying , had a sweet time with the lord . I was asked to preach at the youth church for Friday and I felt God leading me to step out in that area . Later that night at a very nice resturant I met the president of Honduras,s daughter.... thats right! She is a newer Christian in a all catholic country and a friend of Maikos . We had talked earlier on the phone that day so the excitement was building . We had an awesome one on one conversation about God and what he is doing in my life for over 15 minutes . Really down to earth girl , she started calling me "Big Mac" for reasons unknown to me but I wasnt about to argue . It was amazing to receive insight from her and to joke around about her dad . Great experience.

Maiko and I went to there equivalant of Starbucks and MTV central America was there and we got on tv I think , they took are pictures as we played a silly games win a backpack for Maikos laptop. Later that afternoon I preached at the youth group , a real leap out of my confort zone and then I was asked to do it again tomorrow (or today now) . That leads me to this point... Im at a Halo party at 3.31 in the morning with a few minutes to spare . Tomorrow (today) we are going to do the most challenging thing I probabley have ever done in this life and that is witness to drug dealors and prostitutes in what I was told could be the most dangerous section of the city . We are going to bring food and the word of God , living water . Im going to speak the message in front of them and try to share Christs love as much as I can . My few days here have been the best of my life and God is watching over me and I feel his prescence . Pray for my safety but it really doesnt matter , fear not those that can harm the body but fear the one that controls your soul . Joy . Thats the one and only word that can describe this . Tomorrow will be huge and im excited as I walk in faith . Pray for my words that I speak . Pray for my brother Maiko and the awesome conversations we have been having . Dios te Bendiga .

Light to the Darkness

This photo very well could represent the first day of the rest of my life . This is the first solar installation I have done as of yet and it brings me great joy . These girls were doing there homework under the light of a candle which is quite dangerous when young children are present . There have been many instances of families being burned alive in there own homes as ninos scamper underneath beds , candle in hand searching for a ball or lost toy. What I feel put on my heart is to bring solar to Guatemala and possibly Africa as well . Electricity if your off the grid costs about 700 US on up to have a wire ran to your house then a monthly fee that most families alone in similar situations cant afford. Above photo shows Mario doing tests on the battery as we connect the wires and install the panel onto the roof , installing the new light in a central location in the house . There are many families like this one that could benefit greatly from solar energy . After I arrive home I plan on raising around 500 US and doing a test shipment to receive solar panels from Shanghai direct to Guatemala as a test for future shipments (larger) . Currently China and Guatemala are discussing free trade between the countries that will lower the overhead . 10 watt panels in guatemala run around 105 US to 120 .... A price that is staggering to the family that barely makes that a month . Currently I have found I can get the panels for 37 to 42 US , before shipping and possible taxes . My other partner in Shenzhen has the low draw L.e.d s used to light the houses with a cheap and bright light . Pray for all of these things : direction , that shipping is affordable as tariffs are lifted between countries , taxes and distribution for the near future . I don't plan on doing this full time for another 2 years until Im living in Beijing and done with school , but I will be conducting small tests and your prayers would be greatly appreciated as I learn the ropes of exporting .

Above: Simple roof installation , Guatemala is normally very sunny and solar is a cheap ideal way to power a house

Out of night comes day and out of Day comes Light . This photo was taken at 6.31 am this morning from myself and Bennies campsite , the sun came up over Volcano Agua and was quite spectacular . His creation is beautiful . Today I experienced real joy after seeing my favorite girl Helen at the orphanages cleft palet fixed by loving doctors from the United States . She is more beautiful than ever and I got to feed her today without her struggling for air. How neat to see that , I was overcome with Joy as I had been praying for her and those prayers were heard. Enclosed in this post are pictures of the wheelchair distribution and the backpacks I got to help bring to the kids on the coast that get to go to school now for the first time.

As my time runs out here very shortly I have more and more reasons to stay . I have a family here that will be difficult to let go of as well as amazing friends and an incredible church . This sunday at church I felt God speak to me very directly and I broke down and cried in the service while singing . Im so grateful for these three months . This Sunday I leave for Honduras to visit my awesome friend and youth pastor Maiko in the capital city . I might stop over in El Salvador to help with construction if I can figure out Gordons impossible to keep up with schedule . Pray for safety on the road . Thanks to my loving mother I have a flight home after I shared with her my awesome plans to hitch hike through Mexico that Im very grateful for . She didn´t find them very awesome . I will be in Sandiego California visiting my uncle on Feb 6th and home shortly thereafter . Thanks for reading -Dave

Life is good .

The last few days have been great , as they always seem to be . Learning , growing being challenged in my faith and experiencing new things . Dick , Carlos , Fernando , Carline and I traveled to a smaller town to discuss possible building sites for the family in the picture above . The materials where shipped in on election day so we had to wait for quite a time for the concrete and gravel to arrive.

It was really fun playing with the kids . One of them , my friend Geronimo is 14 and worked his but off in Chimaltenago at an arcade so his family could buy more groceries . Alot of the older boys in that area of central park give ¨free drugs¨to the younger kids that work there to get them hooked . Angers me to no end . Geronimo would come over to my house daily and tell me about his struggles there when all his friends were doing it and he was pressured . I always made sure I took him out to lunch on breaks when I could to keep him away from the atmosphere . Its real neat now how we are building his family a new house in the near future . They are wonderful Christians . There family supports itself through the sale of traditional mayan dresses which are beautiful and intricate. They net a healthy profit of about 70 dollars for 8 hours a day and a month and a half plus time spent for each dress . Its very hard to make a living on that because the competition is stiff from others just like themselves . It was very good experience for me to see how the brick is made , if your familiar with the hollywood version of Moses ... picture that with the people mixing straw and clay to make the bricks . As you can see they start working very young mostly out of necessity .

They extract the clay from a well they are building . Its a very efficient process . Over time the foundations of the houses settle because there really is no foundation and one good earthquake around here would probably kill many people being crushed by there own roofs . I got to get a little dirty .

We played with the kids and discussed locations for the new house , the dry bags of cement arrived and we unloaded them and went back to Chimal for lunch at Martas on our way out of town . It was a great trip . The day after we made a trip to the coast to bring Abuela back to her family . She was in Antigua getting her blood taken for the 5th time . The family was so happy upon our arrival they gave us a huge amount of fresh coconuts from that days harvest . We delivered school supplies to another family that was previously unable to afford pencils and other necessities to go to school . Here in Guatemala the schools wont let the kids in at all unprepared , you can only get an education if you have the proper clothes and paper etc . Interesting . It was fun seeing the smiles as the faces lit up after they got there new backpacks . I helped them custom fit the packs to there individual needs and you could really sense the joy . There was one girl who was nearly 10? and had never been to school a day in her life because the family couldn´t buy paper or pens . This monday she will be going to school , praise God . Include those families in your prayer . This last photo is of me sitting next to my buddy Geronimo on my right in the red shirt . He is such a mature guy for his age , pray he continues to walk with the lord and stays away from drugs . Thanks for reading , Im off to a very large birthday party of sorts . I was invited to by my landlord for one of there 3 going on 4 year old cousins .... I think somehow I will end up providing the entertainment . Allow God to bless you , Adios .

Distribution of wealth

This week has been very busy . I ment to update some time ago but..... Today there was a large distribution of wheelchairs in Chimaltenango , what that means in plain english is that many people that originally didn´t have wheelchairs were outfitted with the means of mobility . Some of them with CP making the process more complicated . I have rebounded health wise and spiritually never better . I have an oppurtunity to serve in Afghanistan that I will start praying over and I would ask you as well . Updates within one or two days . I started putting up photos of my travels and more will be on the way in the link to the right of my page . Have you read John 3.16 lately ? It´s pretty neat.

Bienvenidos!

As I continue grow and experience new things , I want to keep everyone informed , this is mostly just a test run and the site will most likely mature rapidly over the next few days as I figure this thing out.... here it goes my experiment inserting pictures.....

This very first one on the left is one of me playing with kids at the HIV clinic , they are positive through birth from there parents and in most cases there parents are dead or just unable to care for them . I have been somewhat of an apprentice to Dick , learning how to fix complicated chairs and fit the kids into the chair that fits best for them . Its a real challenge for CP kids and can take hours .

We worked on 2 chairs that day . This is one of them . This orphanage is much different than other I have been to . There is alot of love from the staff , they are truly one big family... the kids arnt starved for attention they love it , but they dont cry when you leave which is a great thing.

This post is abit sloppy Im learning about how it works . I want to take a second to thank Phil Kemp an amazing brother of mine that is tech-savvy and helped me get this site up and running . Thank you Phil.

Im on the internet .