Testimonies

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=125 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04d467d1dvldtc.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Disciple Makers"><B>HOME</B></A></div> <div> <B>Testimonies</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=189 style="border-right: 1px solid #CCCCCC;" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="125bec00egerdp.jpg"> <div> <I>To the right is a memoir of an individual who recently traveled with us to Guatemala on a short-term mission trip.</I></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=355 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="562" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#EEEEEE HEIGHT= 600 WIDTH="544"><div> <IMG SRC="36c7a510.jpg" border=0 width="122" height="593" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><B>My First Impressions by Paul B.</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Arid, dry mountainous land</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Block & tin dilapidated buildings</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Farming on impossible mountainsides</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Rainy season</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Dry season</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Old cars & older buses</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">100,000 people in a square mile or two</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Streets barely wide enough for a bus</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Chickens & cows in the yard</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Taking baths in rain barrels</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Doing laundry by hand & hanging it out to dry</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Bars on windows everywhere</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Glass bottles on walls</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">2 room houses</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Don't drink the water</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Abject poverty</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Never leave anything laying around</div> <bR> <div> <I>Depressing? It was to me for the first couple of days.</I></div> <div> <I>THEN…I began to look around a little harder and saw joy:</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Happy, skilled bus drivers</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Smiles on the faces of children every place you see them</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Joy & enthusiasm in the Lord at Sunday evening service</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A happy-go-lucky man named Manuel who smiles while he works alongside us</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Smiling faces that serve us wonderful meals</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c899333300.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Obvious joy & thankfulness in those we are here to help</div> <bR> <div> <B>There's a lesson I have learned here:</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>There is joy in family, friends; the things God has blessed us with; small things.  Joy in a simple life; a life well-lived no matter how simple.  Joy that is in, and comes from the heart.</I></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>