More Heaven on Earth?

Danilo with his turn at the pinata

Danilo receiving a gift & a hug

Today is Danilo's 6th Birthday! He shared his only chicken that his family has, with his teachers today at his home! Yesterday we were able to share in a birthday party for him with his kindergarten class and the teachers. What fun! We were able to help out with this party and the joy this brought to everyone was amazing. Danilo, the children, the teachers & even Al enjoyed the pinata. It was so fun to see the children present gifts to Danilo, enjoy the games and the birthday cake. His Mom and two little brothers were able to attend. This party would be the equivilent of us taking our children to Disneyland for their birthday party. This family would never be able to afford the cake! Danilo may never have celebrated his birthday before this day. This is mind boggling for Al and I. Later on we gave Danilo, his Mom and his brothers a ride home. We were able to meet his father for the first time & we were able to pray for his whole family. They received us into there home so graciously. One day all of God's church, all races and nationalities will be able to share in the joy of seeing Jesus face to face. He will be the center of the party then!

Today we are also at the halfway point of our stay here in Tactic. As we reflect back over the last fourweeks, God has been good to us. God has a purpose for us here! We have met many new people from all over Canada & the USA from the 3 teams that have come to stay at the Guest House so far. What a joy to share times together with them worshipping God & sharing what God is doing in our lives. We probably won't see many of them again until we get to Heaven - what a joyous day that will be!!! We have also met many of the local staff working here at Impact Ministries as they serve the Lord in this ministry. What a joy to work alongside these people who love the Lord & have chosen to serve Him here in Guatemala. Then there are the local Guatemalan people we have met - we have to come to love these people dearly. They are such happy people & yet many of them have so little. What a joy it is to attend a school devotional and see and hear 150 children worshipping our Lord with all their hearts. God is great!!!

Back on the home front, our daughter Michelle hit a moose late on Friday evening, coming back from visiting with her grandma in Three Hills. She Skyped us on Saturday morning from her other grandmother's house and shared the news with us. She had called 911 herself and had been taken via ambulance to Foothills Hospital emergency where she had worked this summer. Her grandmother in Calgary was called to meet the paramedics in emergency. We prayed with her and thanked God that she was alive. She looked good but appeared somewhat anxious. We attributed this to the shock of what she had been through. Later that day she became nauseated. She was checked out further and it was determined she had post-concussion syndrome and an injury to her right shoulder. We saw some pictures of her car today & we are still praising God that she is alive. I am learning what the verse in Matthew 10:37-39 means. These verses kept going through my mind before we left Canada."...if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it." Heaven came closer for me these days as I realize again that another one of my children could be with Jesus right now. We ask why do these things happen? I don't have the answer, I just know that Jesus loves me and he has the Master plan. He is the Master!!!