Greetings from Guatemala!!

Hello family!
Just thought I would update a little bit while I have the time! : )
Guatemala is awesome! : ) I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be here! My 6 week adventure is coming to a close, I only have until June 3rd until I come home! I wish I could stay here longer! (Sorry mom! ; ))

Originally I was only supposed to be here for a week, but God let all the pieces fall together for me to stay longer and get to see Tash, Paula, Andres and Carlos in Honduras as well as work here now with another organization!

My first trip here was to Chichicastenango (have fun trying to pronounce that! lol) with Res from Grand Haven to work with Ron Morin and his ministry Pray America. The week flew by, but we ministered to hundreds of people! We built three houses, helped build their new mission base--paint, plant, pray, etc. work feeding programs where we would help with the food as well as do a church service for the parents and kids. I had an amazing time there!

The Saturday that our team flew back to the States, I stayed back at the airport and was picked up by Debbie and Alvaro Flores--Grandpa/ma's friends. (It is such a blessing to reap the seeds sewn by them!) I spent the rest of the day with them, then the next morning, I took a bus from Guatemala City to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to see my family there! : ) The bus ride went surprisingly well! (not that I am complaining haha) I have to say that the bus ride was a bit of a stretch though! lol

The next ten days I spent with Tash, Paula, Andres and Carlos at their home. The first time Andres saw me he put out his arms and wanted me to hold him. That was awesome b/c I wasn't sure if he would remember me! : ) I went to Paula's church and went to the orphanage she volunteers at sometimes as well as went to the Honduran Natl. Penitentiary with Paula & some girls from the church with the only prison ministry for the 18th St. Gang. That was an amazing experience, both for being a future police officer as well as being able to hang out with them and minister!!

After Honduras, I took a bus back to Guatemala City where I stayed with Debbie and Alvaro again, then the next day met Dan Smith with Paradise Bound Ministries--based out of Hamilton--at the airport to work with him and construction groups for the US for the next month. Here, Chimaltenango) I met some incredible people!! Notably the employees of Paraiso (paradise in spanish : )). Estuardo and Hermano Jesus are amazing men of God, and it is great getting to know them. I met Hermano Jesus when I was here 2 years ago.

Last night, I got back from Bendicion. It is a very remote village by the Pacific coast--and it was very hotttttt!! lol While there, our group was fixing up an old plantation house from the 1800's for the rest of the summer teams coming to build houses here. Because the village is almost 3hours away from the current base, it was decided that teams should just stay at the village where they are building at and not waste valuable man hours driving! : ) The village is so incredible. You can feel the presence of God and I cant wait to see what is happening and what will happen in the future. I met some awesome people there, and it was great getting to spend the time getting to know them and build relationships!! It was VERY hard to say goodbye!!

However, while there we received really bad news. Estuardo and Hermano Jesus were robbed after going to a bank here in Chimal. Estuardo was shot thru the back, and the bullet took out his lung and lodged in his shoulder. HJ was beaten and the thieves got off with about US $3000. HJ is fine now, but Estuardo is still in the hospital. I ask that you all lift him and his family up in your prayers!!!!! The robbery took place right in front of his 9 year old sons school, and he witnessed the whole incident. Estuardo is paralyzed from the chest down, but stable. It is amazing to see God working though! We have been able to transfer him from a quite bad hospital to a private one which is much better!! Also, there is a Physicians Asst. from the US who was here from the team at Bendicion, and she has been able to stay and be with him and make sure that he is receiving the care he needs. Also, just today Estuardo started feeling tingling in his legs! I know that God will use this incident for His glory and that thru it all, people will be saved!

No worries though, I am fine! I am safe, healthy and cannot wait to start working with the next team that is coming tomorrow! We will be working on the new mission base being built here and landscaping.

I know this is a long novel, but I thought you would all like the update!
God Bless and keep praying!! : )
Much love,
Luke

Velderman News

Hello Everyone! Here's some recent pictures that are long overdue! Sorry about that! I'll start with the oldest news and then work my way to the present. The one with Isabelle & Makayla was taken during Pike & Pals weekend. For those of you who don't know, the men decided they needed an annual fishing weekend so us girls decided we'd all get together with the kids that weekend too! The lake they decided to camp on happened to be about a half hour from here so Lindy and Megan came to my house. It was a blast....not such great weather for the boys but they toughed it out until Saturday afternoon when I recieved a phone call from my hubby saying they were on their way to our house and would arrive in about 20 minutes! =) FABULOUS!!! So we had a few more "pals" than anticipated but it was fun anyhow. (Don't feel too bad for the boys, they re-scheduled their weekend for the end of June) I love having company so I was in heaven!

Makayla recently had her 4th birthday and just to make it extra special we invited Elli to come up for a few days. MY GOODNESS were those girls excited to get together! We had a blast and managed to check off everything on Makayla's list of 'things to do when Elli came'! It's so fun to have cousins close in age like that to grow up with! Most of the pictures are of Makayla's birthday festivities!

Cam continues to get bigger even though his mommy has told him he's not allowed! =) He's actually been mastering the art of crawling and standing up on things over the this past week. Amazing how much they learn in the first year of life! I KNOW (not think) that I'll be a busy mama once he's actually up and moving. I'm still trying to get used to having him this mobile....the 'baby proofing' is in full swing around here! =) He's a hoot though and him & Makayla are already great buds!

I'm sure there's more to report on but Cam's in my lap and getting restless so I need to cut it short. Probably a good thing because otherwise I'd write a novel. Enjoy the summer months...I know we will. Love you!

The Veldermans

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!

THE THELENS

Hi everyone, thought i would try this blog thing again since i have my new laptop and digital camera.!! i will try to send some pictures of the kids. some will be of evans 1st birthday(may2) and some of our house( since most of you havent and probably wont ever see it) and some just of the kids. evan isnst walking yet but he is pulling himself up on everything. hes just a little chuncker!! caden is being his crazy self. brent wants to geet him a dirtbike with training wheels for his 3rd b-day.(july 24) i am alittle nervous about it but have relaxed alot the older i get!! gavin is loving school and just being outside to play hoops, explore, and ride his dirtbike. brent is busy with work and sidejobs, which is good, it was a long winter. i am still doing daycare- i have 3 full time and 2 parttime along with my 3. i would say thats plethera of kids!!!!happy mothers day to all the mothers out there!!!!!!!!!! love to all, brenda

Happy Birthday David!!

Congratulations Jason!!

Jason has his Masters Degree of English!
He graduated on Saturday from Northern Michigan University.
I couldn't be more proud of him.
One degree down.
Two ore more to go!!!
Congrats!

Hello All

An up date from Orlando Florida! Hello all its Andrea I had noticed that no one had posted in a while so I thought that i would give everyone an up date!!! Well things are going well tim is doing amazing in school he has a 4.0 yeah!! I got a job I am working in an office doing office things its not that exciting but its a pay check so I'm happy for the experience. I have been doing well with the home sickness but i think that this week its has officially hit me but I have been using skype and talking with mom and Stacey and my best friend from home It is a huge help just to see someone face to face... or more like computer to computer! We are glad that we made the move already we can really see a difference in our relationship but I'm pretty sure that 15 months will be just enough though. We have been enjoying our weekends by taking day trips to Daytona or to coco beach we have a list of things to do before we go home so were trying to mark them off one weekend at at time. All is well I will update again soon love you all Andrea Joy Speyer!!