Meet my friends.

Meet Emily.

My wonderful friend/old roommate/very first companion to Guatemala, Emily Heartsill, has decided to fly to Guatemala on October 31 and stay with me until November 14. Together we will fly back to the States on November 14 and I will begin working frantically to ensure that everything is ready for the wedding on December 1.

Emily with orphan Chana in 2010

Emily and precious orphan Daisy 2010

I am really excited have her coming. My birthday is November 1. She is getting here the day before and I won't have to spend my birthday all alone. She will be staying in my second bedroom in the apartment, which I have decorated nicely (lol):

With all the great furniture that my furnished apartment came with:

Anyway, she will help me build relationships, look for land for sale for Casa Gloria, teach English as a way to serve the people here, and hold Bible studies if the opportunity arises. I can't wait!

~

Meet Pricilia, Josue, and Jose Carlos.

I have been working with these three precious kids twice a week, helping them to study and learn English. They spoke NO english when we first started and now here they are:

~

Meet Julio.

My really good friend Julio, who you can also befriend on Facebook - Julio Noe Chen - has been learning English a lot, and has been helping me immensly with things I need help with. He is also the one who has been accompanying me to the Dump to give out gospels, food, and water. He has something he would like to say to you:

~

Meet Sergio.

Sergio runs the Paca (cheap clothe store) a few doors down from my apartment. He asked me to teach him a little English. He is a former skateboarder who had a very severe accident when he was not wearing a helmet. The Lord saved and healed him and he kept the skateboard as a testimony. On it he wrote, "Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty." This is what Sergio wants you to know:

~

Meet Allan.
Allan (facebook) sells gas for stoves in Coban. I called him one day, sure that my 35lb tank was out, and he came all the way to bring me gas only to look at me very curiously, flip a little switch up, and tell me I still had 2/3 a tank left and I won't be out for another 3 months. He drove all the way here and carried that heavy tank up for nothing! I felt terrible. Turns out he has a good knowledge of the English language and would love for someone to teach him. He told me a testimony about how the Lord saved his wife, gave him three boys, a good job, and showed me a video of his church before he left. He left with a New Testament in his hand and we have been studying English twice a week since. He has something he would like to share with you:

 ~

Remember Mr. Rick.
Mr. Rick has sold 11 more airplanes since I wrote the blog about him selling 4 in a couple of weeks. That's 15 airplanes in a month and a week. Please, let me let Mr. Rick explain to you the significance of that:

"Ok, to answer your question, in this economy it would take about a year to do that many. I sold 13 last year and 12 the year before. Those past deals where super thin....The deals these past weeks have been very high margin all around and very easy closers. The normally ultra complicated, complex, extremely difficult, and very stressful deliveries have so far all been a breeze (a dream)."

When God lays it on your heart to do something that might look like a sacrifice to your worldly eyes, please, do it joyfully and with thanksgiving in your heart sacrifice even more than the minimum God has asked from you, and then remember Mr. Rick's testimony that when we are faithful with a little, we will be given an opportunity to prove ourselves faithful with a lot!

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' ---Jesus

Pray this life-changing scripture will make it into the hands most needy of God's Word.

While land has been hard to find lately, I am still on the search. I know the Lord will provide the terrain for Casa Gloria. Meanwhile, in between relationship building, teaching English, and finding other ways to serve the people here in Jesus' name, I ran across a new, potentially wonderful, opportunity. The "manager" of the dump informed me that in his town, Esperanza (Hope), some misonaries came a few years back and began working with orphans. After a couple of years they left and returned home. Now in Esperanza there are quite a few orphans all living together in one house. The manager's wife works with these children every now and then. We called her today to see if we could come and help. Next Thursday, me, Emily, and Julio will be taking a bus to their town with snacks and the gospel. When we asked the lady what she recommend that we bring, she told us to bring good news from the Bible that will comfort these orphans and let them know they are not alone, but that God is always with them. I was not expecting that to be her answer, but praise God, we will do just that. Many of the children are 3-4 years old, and some are up to 12.

If any of you have any ideas for ways we can further serve these children without having a children's home just yet, I would love to hear your ideas. There are about 200 children with needs in this one town, or that is what we were told. Only the neediest ones will be coming next Thursday, supposedly, according to the woman. She will invite them on Saturday. We will see....

In Christ we have been freely given all things,

Jenna

The Local News

Translation:

"The View"

Woman: "Changing the bad is Ms. Jenna Van Dee from North America informing us she is consenting to the calling that God has given her with the objective of serving the most needy, the orphans, in the place most abandoned, Alta Verapaz."

Me: "I arrived the first of September and we want to begin a mission here for the orphans. Our mission is to help them because I think there are many children that need things here. And we want to buy land here in Coban, or near Coban, and then we want to build a place for the orphans called Glory House. It is more than a mission, it is a calling from God."

The Interviewer: "How good that women missionaries have been helping others more. Alta Verapaz, Guatemala requires much help. There are many discriminated against, there is not much security, there is much violence, many killed, and the children are dying of hunger here in Guatemala. That's good that you bring this message. What is the name of the church, your mission that you come with?"

Me: "Our organization, how do you call it, it's called, the name of it is Mision Vida Nueva (I finally got the proper construction of that sentence - whew embarrassing). It is not from a particular church but it is Evangelical, the mission.

The Interviewer: "How have you been working now since the first of September, what kind of attention have you given to the kids, the young people?"

Me: "Well, today we are going to Sachamach, the place that has the trash, ("the dump" someone interjects) and we are going to give food, water, bread to the workers there and the kids too."

The Interviewer: "Are you satisfied, content, with your mission Jenna?"

Me: "Me?"

The Interviewer: "Yes."

Me: "Yes, very much, it is a dream of mine for many years. I know that God loves the orphans here and He wants a plan for their lives, a big plan."


Haha this was totally unexpected and it actually wasn't even the entire interview. They made me tell everything to the camera in English too! I guess it was too long to show it all on the news. It aired 10/11/2011 at 8pm on the local news station and then again today at 7am.
Everyone already knows there is a young white woman living in their town and she has been here for a month and a half. No foreigners come here for more than a day, unless they get stuck due to flooding, road slides, or land slides in which case they might be here for two days. So everyone already recognizes me. I walk everywhere I go. Now the ones who watch the news are going to understand why I am here, needless to say I am a bit nervous about going to the park today.

The Lord is a sovereign and mighty God. He has a good plan. His name and His heart for the orphans were on the news last night.
Keep praying ~~

Here are pictures from our work at the dump:

On the way up with boots, bread, and water!

The houses and the "school" at the dump.

Talking to the kids and giving them treats.

They are precious precious precious!

My friend Julio helping give the workers a snack.

The capitol city's dump - Coban.

It's called Sachamach.

Little Julio who followed us out wanting more bread.

Ladies trying to find brush and sticks to cook with.

You might not be here to put food and water and gospels into these people's hands, but it is actually YOU, by your prayers and by your heart that listens closely to the voice of the Lord, that is putting these items in their hands.

Love,

      Jenna

Is God A Liar?

True Story 1:

Sunday, August 21  I spoke for 5 minutes at Lakeview explaining how I sold everything I owned and was leaving in a few days to move to Guatemala to begin ministering to the people and starting a children's home called Casa Gloria. In the 1500 person crowd was a man I have still never met face to face whose heart was touched by God for this mission. We will call him Mr. Rick.
On August 29, two days before I left, I received a very unexpected donation from this man I had never heard of. It was Mr. Rick. He felt lead to donate $300.

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

From September 1 to September 3, my inbox was flooded with donations totaling $250 from people around the States that I have never ever heard of. I quickly found out that Mr. Rick was prompted by God to write a letter of support for me to people he knew.

“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”

I was extremely humbled that this man who did not know me was so touched by God to help so much. I didn't even know why he cared. I sent him an email telling him how amazed I was and grateful. I explained to him that I felt lead to NOT write letters of support, but focus completely on the mission and trust that the LORD, who knows our every need for this Christ-centered children's home to be built, would be at work on my behalf, on behalf of HIS orphans, to provide for this monetarily. The Lord assured me that He could raise support far better than I could anyway, and He would be busy doing just that.
I wasn't sure how it was going to happen, but Mr. Rick was a wonderful example of the Lord at work to me.

On September 8, Mr. Rick felt lead to purchase Bibles for me to hand out to people in Guatemala and on September 9, he purchased about $250 worth.

"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered."    

I felt like this man I had never met, who was communicating with me every day, supporting me in prayer AND financially, was right there with me on the mission field in Guatemala. I was not alone.  Someone cared as much as I do about the salvation of these people, and he was showing it not only in word, but in sacrificial action!

^""

About Mr. Rick, he has a beautiful wife and (I believe) two children. He works for Premier Aircraft Sales, Inc. selling airplanes. As you can imagine, with the way the economy is right now, it is hard to sell a car, extremely hard to sell a house, and almost impossible to sell an airplane, I'm sure! They have been going to Lakeview for quite some time and are very mission-minded, Christ-centered believers.
After purchasing all those bibles, Mr. Rick discovered that it was going to cost nearly $500 to ship them all to Guatemala (the cheapest way). WOW, expensive. We didn't realize it was going to be SO expensive. He began immediately trying to contact Lakeview and my Spanish pastor to see if they would be willing to help with the shipping expense. After about a week of trying and trying, no one was available to help.

I was discouraged. I thought, "Lord, this man acted in faith, giving so much of his time and money to help us. He felt You leading him to get these Bibles and now it is going to cost THIS much to actually receive them?"
On September 14, Mr. Rick decided to write another letter of support for Mision Vida Nueva without me even knowing it. We received no donations from this letter...but I believe it was for a very good purpose. Little did we know at the time, but God had a huge plan in store.

On September 21, Mr. Rick decided to step out in faith even more. He went to the Auburn Post Office to ship every one of those Bibles to me himself!
I felt terrible for Mr. Rick, but he told me his only regret was that he didn't just do it sooner.

"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty."

HOW MANY TIMES DOES GOD HAVE TO PROVE HIMSELF BEFORE WE WILL LIVE LIKE WE BELIEVE HIM?

On September 23, only two days after he shipped the bibles, I got this email from Mr. Rick (I quote):
"Two airplane deals just landed in my lap. This NEVER happens. I have not sold a plane in 4 months!! But not only are these two deals in the works but there are also two more very close! Thank YOU for your Prayers Jenna !! God is sooooo good !!! ;-)."

On September 28, I received this:
"I have something very cool to share with you also. Your Prayer for the other two aircraft worked and God Blessed me with one of the two deals and the other guy is still very much in play but someone already bought the plane he wanted. That is amazing to me. You would just have to know how difficult my business really is and how long it has been since my last sale. As my Wife and I always say to each other “you can’t out give God”. How true that is."

With in a matter of 5 days, he had sold 4 airplanes.

"Test me in this,"

says the LORD Almighty,

"and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven

and pour out so much blessing

that you will not have room enough for it."

True Story 2:

On October 1, last Saturday, I found myself sitting in the Mormon church surrounded by 14 mormons my age all from the United States. My mormon friend I had shared the gospel with a couple weeks back invited me to come to the 2011 Annual General Conference. To EVERY mormon's amazement, and probably to yours, I agreed and showed up. I was the only believer there. Half the time, believers won't even answer the door when a mormon comes knocking. They looked at me real funny as I sat there in my blue jeans, with my bible, and a smile on my face.

2 hours and 1000 puzzled side-glances casted in my direction later, we stood up and began walking to lunch. Not one person tried to convert me. They asked me why I was here and I shared my testimony with them. They asked me when I was leaving the mission, I told them, "When the Lord tells me to leave."

I prayed all through that conference for each one of them, against the heretical religion, against the words that the "prophets" spoke to the world. I constantly flipped through my Bible, prompted by different things the conference would say to remind myself of what the Truth really was. I told them I was an evangelical Christian, and they didn't say a word. As intimidating as sitting in an enclosed room with 14 mormons on mission was, I was a brave little lover of Christ.

"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

True Story 3:

I ate lunch with Francis Eachus. She is awesome. Definitely a lunch I will never ever forget and she is definitely a woman I admire with all my heart. She moved to Coban from Colorado 56 years ago with Wycliffe. She learned the indigenous language Ki'che', alphabetized it, translated the Bible into Ki'che' for the first time, wrote a concordance, taught the people to read and write, and then started a church, lived here through the Civil War, and wrote her own book. Now she is almost 80 and teaches other missionaries to speak Ki'che'.  A true hero!

Oh, then she invited me to her house this past week to watch movies and eat lunch. We are going to hang out again soon, maybe play some cards lol!


True Story 4:

I went to the Dump last Tuesday. I took 60 pieces of fresh bread, 50 flavored waters, and 30 gospels of John (thank you Mr. Rick).  We arrived and at first were not very welcomed by all the hard working people in this gigantic mountain of trash, vultures, and dogs. When we told them we were here to give them free snacks, they immediately formed a super long line and we began handing them out in Jesus' name.
Unfortunately the extreme poor (more extreme than the rest of the country) find their food here, find their belongings here, and they find their business here along with the rats, vultures, and dogs. The houses are made of nylon sheets and rotted wood.
They were eager to know when I would return, I am returning this coming Tuesday...Lord-willing.

"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. Your prayers and your giving allow me to serve the Lord by serving these people. Your prayers and your giving are allowing the least of these the opportunity to see Jesus and to know Jesus and to have His word. Your prayers and your giving are your way of being right here with me on the mission field, doing this work and engaging these people. So thank you, and I thank God for you.

'Not to us Lord, not to us, but to YOUR name be the glory...'

Love,

Jenna

Prayer Requests:

• Geoffrey's house would sell before our wedding (Dec.1)
• Geoffrey's sound system would sell. (All this money will be put toward Casa Gloria)
• The lawyer helping us with our visas will be able to help us with registration for the children's home, and we would be able to afford it.
• The salvation of Julio, Dominic, Lucas, and the mormons.

P.S.- I'm adding this in (a day after) just as an afterthought. The purpose for writing the testimony for what God did through Mr. Rick's strong faith in God's promises, is not to get any kind of recognition for him or praise for him (he would not want that at all), but to give a perfect example of God's abundant provision, the absolute truthfulness of His word, and that He is a God more than worthy of our trust and full-hearted devotion. I asked Mr. Rick if he would allow me to share this incredible story with you and he said yes. We believe that you will read it, your faith may be strengthened and you will lift your hands and praise Him. He is alive today and well at work in your life, my life, and the lives of His children in Guatemala! Praise the Lord and only the Lord!   :)