See pictures below

Our team from St. Louis, Rockford and Vancouver built two playgrounds in Guatemala. We were able to partner with Ourteach for Jesus http://www.outreachforjesus.org and work with some of their ministries. A local pastor now has a new playground on the site where they are currently building his new church. Many children in the neighborhood community will be able to use this playground in Rio Hondo.

The second unit was built in the mountains in Chiquemula at at private school. This site was started eight years ago by a husband and a wife team. The husband passed away during the early planning stages, but envisioned a playground for the children at the school. His faithful wife greeted us in tears as just last month the construction of the school was completed. The playground was the only thing that was left from her husband's vision. God used our team to answer her prayers this week!

The students had a special dedication for us that we were unaware of. While we waited for everyone, one of the young boys was looking at his pants shaking his head in frustration at the mud stains left on his knees. Elsa, our contact from Outreach for Jesus asked him what was wrong and he replied that his mother would be upset with him because he had gotten his pants dirty. Elsa told him to tell his mother that the Americanos made him play on the playgorund! Once everyone was seated the students were asked to say thank you to us in English and to sing us thier school song. Then the students would sing another song while they would come by to shake our hands.

Our team was greatly humbled. This was a very special experience. Also, each class had made a thank you package for each team member. The package consisted of thank you notes and pictures the children had colored.

After this, the school's headmaster, Sarita explained how important it is to pray for each other and that this group was part of our family now. She had the whole school come up and place hands on us and sit on our laps. One of the 5th or 6th graders then led a prayer where the whole school responded in prayer with him.