Good Morning, Friends!                                             November 28, 2018
     There was a tremendous sense of excitement in the air this past Monday evening as they gathered to start processing the 2018 coffee.
     Lord willing, we are planning to process enough to send another container of coffee to the states this year.  Thank you to all who have participated to help make this project possible!  We too feel blessed that we have been able to establish a number of clients here. 
     Coffee is picked in the day and processed the same night.  It starts ripening on the bottom of the mountain and little by little works its way to the top where they have the best, high altitude, gourmet coffee.  We try to pay the farmers well, as we know that for them it's a year-round job caring for the farm, so we always have all the coffee we can process in a night.
     Our preference is to be done by midnight and get a bit of rest yet, but some nights there are challenges...  Two nights ago, they had some problems with the pump, plus had gotten in nearly 13,000 pounds.  They started immediately after church, worked all night and by 4:45 a.m., still had almost half of it left to do.  Fatigue overruled that time.  They shut down and left the rest for the next crew.  Our Glenn was working that night and came home to rest as I was getting up.  He was super tired, but happy to have been able to help!
      We divided into 2 groups so that every other night the one group can get a decent night of sleep. But on Monday night, both groups showed up as no one wanted to miss that first night! How I wish that pictures could accurately share the delight they have of processing coffee. They come home very tired with stained hands and clothes, yet feel so blessed they were able to accomplish it once more!
     Thanks again, friends, for the privilege of giving these youngsters a healthy job!
    The weekend that we started processing, Misael was given the full OK to move ahead with his back surgery in Germany.  Our hearts rejoiced and at the same time wondered how to move ahead with processing coffee nightly for the next 2-3 months.  His brother Santos is planning to be his assistant after surgery as we feel it is too long for us both to be gone and leave the children on their own.  If all the equipment would work 100% those 3 weeks they'll be gone, our guys could do it, but it's a challenge when you have the coffee sitting there waiting on you, but the equipment is failing.  THEN it is a super blessing to have the fathers take the responsibility to decide how to move on!  With Santos and Misael being the only 2 in leading the processing, we will patiently wait until harvest is over.  In the meantime, we will rejoice that there is hope for a better tomorrow, as well as pray that the surgery will go well!

 

     The Guatemala Bible Institute was a blessing.  There were 16 that went from our church.  (Above photo - with Misael taking photo.)  Our children came back very happy with their time in Guatemala and we are just as happy to have them home again!  They enjoyed meeting new friends, but especially enjoyed many good sermons.  Misael's back did very well that week as he had spent several days preparing sermons the previous week and also spent time preparing in his room in Guatemala.  Resting without a lot of movement and driving was a tremendous blessing for him!
     Whenever we get new workers, we try to always tell them that it is very important that they keep a close relationship with God, for Satan has destroyed the parents of these children and he wants to destroy them as well.  We keep seeing the battle for their souls over and over again!  Some have left because they want nothing to do with Christianity.  Others have stayed because they DO want it.  Others are struggling - they are with us, but come and go spiritually.  We know that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12  We understand that the only way to find victory is through prayer.  We thank each of you who have invested in them and want to encourage each of you to continue praying for them, as well as those who care for them.  We long to be faithful so that someday we can be welcomed into our Heavenly Home!  What a blessing to be His!
     May the Lord be with you, bless you, keep you, and fill you with much peace and joy as you serve Him!

For His glory,

Misael, Regina and family