Bethel CRC HANDS Team in Guatemala

August 17, 2009

2009-08-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Praise God for His wonderful blessing and care. We had an accident and sickness free 10 days; we were able to work together in unity; we were able to work, laugh, cry and grow together.

We had no problems in our travels and going through customs. There was a short time of panic over a missing passport but all turned out well. We landed in Toronto at 11:30 p.m.

The team members are now at home - reunited with their families. Pray for us as we make the transition to our regular routines. Pray that God will show each of us where and how He wants us to use our experience here at home. Pray that we will listen to God's leading and be obedient.

Thank you for your prayers.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

2009-08-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

We packed up and had an early breakfast with the hope of leaving Camp Shalom at 8:30. Hank had asked the driver to arrive at 8:00 and at 9:30 there was no sign of him. Luckily Timeo has a van so he agreed to drive us today as long as he could drop us off at the airport before 9:00 tomorrow so that he can be back in time for the start of the school session at 12:30.
Here we are at the Mennonite Seminar ready to have our devotions. We will be leaving from Guatemala City at 1:00 tomorrow and arriving in Toronto at 11:30. It will be a long day.

We travelled to Antiqua City to go to the market as well as to see a little of this very old city. Above and below is the city square. Some of the buildings here date from the 1500 hundreds.

A view down one of the rows of market stalls.

Saturday August 15th 2009

2009-08-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

The board of directors of Juan Wesley and Karla the primary principal. They came to thank us for our work and presented us with the shirts we are wearing.

Grace and Juan who are part of the National Board of Primitive Methodist came by to thank us for our work and support.

This afternoon was our day out. We first travelled to the hot volcanic springs which helped us all soak out all the aches from our week of hard work. We also stopped in the town of Zunil on the way home. The trip there was absolutely breathtaking as we saw many variations of farming and scenic pictures.

This morning we finished up all the last minute jobs that still needed to be done. Here Angela and Janet are drilling holes for Brian so he could install the window frames. Bert and Ben continued to tile the bathrooms. Bert and Fran finished the landscaping for drainage. Henry completed the painting and Hank installed some more toilets.

Everyone worked together to assemble the cabinets together.

A look into one of the classrooms.

Richard and Stacey carried the finished cabinets into their proper classrooms.

Friday, August 14, 2009

2009-08-14T19:12:00.001-07:00

One of the Juan Wesley student presentations.

Everyone enjoyed the children.

KKarla, the primary principal accepted the quilt we made for the school.

One of the presentations.

This student is bent on being a rock star or a pastor!

Today the students put on a presentation to thank us for coming. We were the only ones who got a seat. The students crowded around us and were anxious to sit on laps or share a sweater to shade the sun from our heads.

We brought our load of clothes, school supplies, and medical supplies to the school in the pickup.

Richard assembling cabinets and Ben is ??????

Brian having another coffee. He seemed to like to work close to Casa Wick where the coffee pot was.

Today was a busy day trying to finish off projects. Here Angela and Janet are sanding the cabinets. Today we managed to complete the sanding, staining and varnishing. The hinges are on some of the doors and one of the 5 is totally assembled.
Stacey and Fran varnishing.

Fran decided to go to the third floor in the afternoon to help Bert with the tiling in the girls bathroom, Ben was tiling in the boys bathroom.

Henry sitting on the job (he was back to painting) - he completed both bathrooms.

Thursday August 13th 2009

2009-08-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

A view from the third floor of the school looking out at the school wall and the main street.

The children waiting to go home on the bus. Henry ventured on the bus and was bombarded with children wanting their pictures taken.
A look into one of the primary classrooms. The windows are the ones Mike VanLeeuwen made two years ago.
Brian, Bert and Hank setting up for another day. Today Bert, Fran, Janet and Ben continued tiling the bathroom. It is a very slow process. Brian continued installing the door frames and assembling toilets. Richard, Angela, Stacey and Henry continued working on the cupboards for the classrooms.

Henry's interview with the children.

Wednesday August 12th 2009

2009-08-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Recess time! When the bell rings you'd better get out of their way! Kids are the same everywhere.
Snack Time!!!

Angela, Henry and Stacey stained the doors for the new cupboards. They got to be outdoors in the beautiful sunshine getting a tan.

Angela and Stacey also stained the frames for the doors for the bathrooms.

Richard had another day in the workshop. Today he was thinking instead of cutting...uhhh ohhh

Brian and Ben worked on installing the door frames for the classrooms on the third floor.

Ben grunted again...

Luis mixing the cement for the tile floors.

Fran and Janet grouted the tile floor after Luis had finished installing the tiles. They had lots of fun playing in the mud. They tried to make mud pies but it didn't work very well the mud was too wet.

Bert back in his stall tiling again.

Janet decided to break up their cozy close quarters and went in the stall in between Bert and Fran today.

Nicholas decided they needed to be separated even more and spaced them out. Nicholas and Bert did the tiling while Janet and Fran grouted.

Nicholas tiling his stall. He routinely checks to make sure they are still working and not laughing too much.

Tuesday August 11th Continued Again...

2009-08-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

After a hard day of work we relax by playing cards ~ Up and Down the River ~ We end our day with a time of singing and devotions.
Henry got a little too excited when he got the opportunity to ride in the trailer behind the tractor. He even started singing songs from his youth with actions!
A room full of toilets and sinks that were delivered today. We also carried them up three flights of stairs! We hope to install these this week.

Tuesday August 11th Continued...

2009-08-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

There were too many tiles on the third floor so we had to carry them all down three flights of stairs load them into the trailer, drive the trailer up to the house and unload them all in a neat pile! We also had to ensure the tiles were facing each other so they wouldn't get scratched.
The tractor which has no brakes was parked on a slope so we had to quickly place rocks under the wheels to prevent the tractor from rolling back down the hill. The trick was pulling them out quickly as he drove away with a load.
Brian was working on installing the door frame on the third floor.
Fran and Bert love the close quarters they share however they still enjoy their own stalls.
Bert installed the tiles and Fran grouted.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

2009-08-11T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hank is our invaluable site manager and translator. He is plaining boards for the door frames.

Angela sanded the doors for the cupboards.
Rick is cutting the doors for the cupboards.
Santos was back again with more blankets and his son. Henry is sporting the latest fashion trend compliments of Santos.
Some of the smiling faces that we get to see everyday. The children love to come and interact with us and many times give us hugs and kisses.

Monday August 10th continued...

2009-08-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

The group enjoying coffee in the wonderful sunshine. The temperatures here are ideal for working. Temperature was approximately 23 degrees today with a beautiful breeze to keep those working in the sun nice and cool. There is no humidity, it's just perfect! We thank God for this blessing.
Its great to be working today with the children around the school. They are very interested in what we are doing and are eager to interact with us.
How many kids can you fit in one van????? At least 25 children loaded into this van, some jumped in before it even had the chance to stop.
Schools out!! Primary classes run from 7:30-12:00 and the senior from 12:30-6:00. These children are eager to get on the bus.
Brian working with Antonio (the school's handyman) on the frame for the gate. They finally got the gate in place today.

Monday August 10 2009

2009-08-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

Richard and Angela making cupboards for the classrooms
Ben, Fran and Bert worked at leveling out the driveway for the bus so the kids don't go flying
Ben, Fran and Stacey moved dirt for proper drainage against the wall
Ben really enjoyed driving this tractor that was made just for him. It was just the right size.
Henry, Janet and Stacey worked on painting the third floor. Edging cement is a real challenge.

Day Trip to the Weavers

2009-08-09T19:31:00.001-07:00

We visited a family of weavers whose house/business is in the middle of a corn field. There are 3 generations of weavers involved in the process of dying, spinning and weaving. They wove the dresses the girls are in. These are typical of their native costumes.
Boy are these ever tight on the waist, these ladies really know how to pull!!

As we were leaving supper God supplied us with a magnificent light show (in the form of sheet lightning).

We appreciate your support and prayers as we head into a full week of work.

Sunday Service

2009-08-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today was the 13th anniversary of Colegio Juan Wesley, which we celebrated with the local congregation and school community. The students participated in the service with skits and songs.
The celebration started with outdoor music at 5:30 AM !!!! and fireworks at 6 AM!!! just outside our windows. There was no sleeping in for us today!
Some of the men thought we were being attacked, but they were really praising the Lord!

They started with a procession of the flags representing Guatemala, School, Christian flag, Spain, USA and Canada. The US and Canada have sent teams to help with the building and a church from Spain is sponsoring 30 students.

Sunday, Aug. 9

2009-08-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

This is the school we are working on. Casa Wick, our home for the week.

Hank, our translater with Claudia ours hosts daughter and her baby Melanie.

More pictures

2009-08-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

First Meal at Camp Shalom

Gate Keepers

?????

Sodding

First Day

2009-08-08T18:38:00.001-07:00

Back in the classroom

Ben pulling the girls hair. When will he learn.

This is our bus - loading the luggage. What a pile - it stayed on top - we were amazed - all those curves.

Angela preparing for a hard week.

On the plane again.

Wow what a trip!!
the flying was uneventful. There were a number of teams going to Guatemala on Mission trips. All of our luggage arrived - imagine that. Henry also arrived with all of his belongings.

What a wonderful drive up from Guatemala City. We had many litters of kittens. If you don't know what this means ask Louise. Most of the construction on the highway is now completed so it only took 4 hours to get here.

Saturday we woke to a beautiful morning. The school looks fabulous, the third floor is closed in and we will be working on finishing it next week. Today we gathered sod to lay on the hill in front of the school and helped hang the gates at the entrance to the camp. The girls sodded while the guys stood at the gate to hold it up and took rides on the back of the truck down to the gate. -they said it was to balance the weight on the truck.

Mary Lou's cooking is still fabulous. Claudia is now married and has a 2 month old baby girl named Melanie.

We have the fireplace going to keep warm.

Packing

2009-08-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last night some members of the congregation hosted a BBQ as a send off for the team. Bags of donations of medical supplies, school supplies and children's clothing were packed. Each member will be checking in 2 bags!!

Our flight leaves tomorrow morning at 6:15.

Quilt for Juan Wesley

2009-08-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

A quilt for the Colegio Juan Wesley .

This quilt was created as a visual symbol of the amount of money raised for the HANDS trip. Each shelf of books on the quilt represented $2,500.00.

The quilt will now be taken with us to Colegio Juan Wesley and given to them as a gift from Bethel CRC

Commissioning Service

2009-07-29T05:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 2, 2009 we will have a commissioning service at Bethel CRC in Newmarket.

2009 Goup Picture

2009-07-13T03:15:00.000-07:00

left to right; front row: Angela DeVries, Fran Berends,Ben Breukelman, Janet deWinter,

second row: Hank Stronks, Brian Feddema, Bert Berends,Henry Lise, Richard Lubbers, Stacey Voorberg,

We're Going Again

2009-07-08T06:08:00.001-07:00

Bethel CRC in Newmarket is sending another team to Colegio Juan Wesley in Guatemala. We will be there from August 7 to August 17. The team is excited to have Hank Stronks come with us as our translator. 2 members of the 2007 team, Bert Berends and Janet deWinter, will be going again. Joining them will be Fran Berends (Bert's wife) Ben Breukelman, Angela DeVries, Henry Lise, Richard Lubbers, Brian Feddema (from the Springdale CRC) and Stacey Voorberg (from Grimsby CRC).

We Are Coming Home

2007-03-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

We had a long drive back to Guatemala City yesterday and stopped at a huge market in Chichicastenanga. We also enjoyed a delicious Guatemalan meal in the same city. We stocked up on souvenirs and then found our way to the seminary. We had Dominos pizza for supper. We had our last devotion time together and ended the evening with one last round of up and down the river. Slept well in comfortable dorms and had nice hot showers the next morning. We are leaving in a few minutes for the airport....see you all soon!

Our last day of work

2007-03-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

The whole team that worked this week. Our home away from home. Our last night here!

Birthday continued

2007-03-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

Daniel takes a swing at the huge pinata! It breaks, and the hordes descend!

Fiesta for Daniel´s 5th birthday

2007-03-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

Playing a game where they had to blow up balloon and see who could pop their´s first by sitting on them. A new kind of snack. Ever had frozen chocolate covered bananas with sprinkles?
Puppet time. Remember you shouldn´t lie.
Birthday boy goes for a face plant!

TAXI!

2007-03-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

SOOO much rebar!!

2007-03-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

1667 of the 2000 they needed. We ran out of time. 4000 (we hope)

Grading around the school

2007-03-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Andrea leveling the sand around the school Derek and Andrea horsing around.
Derek on strike.
Timoteo showing how to work Guatemalan style. Boy we could hardly keep up!

Grinding corn

2007-03-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

This is how they grind corn in Guatemala.....used for tortillas that we get every dinner.

Working on windows

2007-03-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Mike showing Candelero how to weld the steel windows. Guess which one is Mike? Wooden inside window frames ready to be fixed in place.

What a beautiful way to end a great day!

2007-03-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

School Blessing Ceremony

2007-03-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

George giving a message about encouraging us to stand our ground so we can overcome any obstacles that may arise just like Jesus did when he was in the desert for 40 days. Everyone marching around the school to bless what has already been accomplished and what still needs to be done.
All of us posing with some of the students from the high school.
Timoteo and Candelero

At the school

2007-03-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Andrea and Phil handing out supplies to the high school kids Some of the appreciation from the kids

10:30, coffee break

2007-03-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

Just enjoying the Guatemalan coffee

Repetitive Work

2007-03-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

George and Cathy planing down boards for the windows. Kobie bending the never ending supply of wires

A landscaper´s work is never done

2007-03-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

Candelero, Andrea and El Bruso moving dirt to fill holes on the property Derek and Bert getting ready for summer
Still shoveling

Friday morning laundry

2007-03-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

Wilma hopefully folding the last of the laundry

Prayer Requests

2007-03-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

We give thanks to God for:
1. for his faithfulness to us.

2. our luggage has arrived. Last night at 11:55 there was loud knocking on the door, then there was dancing and singing (by Cathy) our bags had arrived. Everyone was now awake except for Mike.

3. safety in our travels today.

4. everyone is healthy.

We remember in prayer our families at home, especially Lloyd and Klaas. We also pray that the work on the site will continue to progress.

Hot Tamales!

2007-03-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

Enjoying dinner after a long day on the road. We all love Mary Lou´s cooking!

Mayan Ruins

2007-03-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

It´s a bird, it´s a plane...no it´s just bananas. One of the excavated sites. National Geographic featured this site in 2004.

Playing games

2007-03-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Phil and Mike enjoying recess!

Visiting the School

2007-03-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

First thing we saw was all of our names on the wall welcoming us. Each grade did a presentation. This class did a drama on Solomon making the decision on who the baby belonged to.
Andrea loves the children. Many of the students wanted hugs.
The teachers had prepared a bag of supplies for each student and we handed one to each of them.

She´s a mark above the rest

2007-03-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Guess what Cathy put in her carry on bag?

Our little helpers.

2007-03-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

After a nice day at work, Benjamin, Vincente, and Moses join us for ......

The new planer

2007-03-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

If Mike is the blacksmith, then we appoint George as the carpenter. Lorenzo is supervising the construction of the interior windows.

Women at work

2007-03-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

How many ladies does it take to bend rebar? How many thousand did you need Merlin? Just one more lady bending rebar

Children´s play!

2007-03-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

En guarde!

El Bruso´s Day at work

2007-03-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Once again Bruce is fixing the Honda. How many Canadian men does it take to fix a Honda? Bruce assembling Lorenzo´s planer.

School Windows

2007-03-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Mike, Phil and Bert all worked hard to get this huge thing up! Andrea painting the first window!

Early Risers

2007-03-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

First morning 5:30 am, every morning gets a little later. Today was 7 am! The ladies were already up!

Prayer Requests

2007-03-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

These are some of the needs that we ask you to lift up in prayer:
-The missing luggage has still not arrived.
-Some minor stomach upsets have surfaced.
-Continued safety on the worksite.
-The local school and church in San Cristobal.
Thank you.

Derek and Bruce

2007-03-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Derek is thinking..."These hot dogs taste better than the gas I just swallowed by accident while fixing the Honda."

On the Job

2007-03-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Bending rebar for the floor in the new school. Did you know we have to make 4,000 of the small ones and 2,000 of the large ones? The best job of all! Scoring the concrete so that the parging can adhere to it. This is a real muscle making job. Our blacksmith, Mike, is keeping us supplied with tools.
Another of Mike's gifts, welding, led to the making of windows for the new school.

2007-03-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Pastor Kobie leading us in our evening devotions. Playing "Christian" up and down the river.

Cathy and Trudy at the existing Colegio Juan Wesley

2007-03-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Cathy and Trudy had the opportunity to teach some english at the existing school attached to the church we were at yesterday! They had a blast!

2007-03-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

Miguel helping el Bruso and the boys fix the ol´ Honda. (sorry Justin) Phil and one of the local pastors working on windows for the school at a local welding shop. Not the same facilities we have at home!
Mike in the back of the Toyota without a seat belt on??? And an unsecured load?? What will his mother say? Also he was thinking of becoming a soap opera star! What do you think?

A day in the life of Bethel Hands Team Monday March 12th

2007-03-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Derek and Raymondo helping the locals with pouring concrete. Raymondo is supervising! Wilma and Cathy prepping for plastering. This is very tiring work, they have to finish by the end of the week. You go girls!
Benjamin is helping Janet with the rebar. At one point he wanted to hand her 10! We suggested only 2 at a time. He was her slave driver.

Church Service

2007-03-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Off to church we go to the 4:30 service that started at 4:50. Bruce is driving the family to the service (His driving style fits into the local traffic just great). Pastor George and Pastor Kobie each deliver a short sermon. Lorenzo, our facilitator, translates. They actually get a good rhythm going.
We each give a short testimony and sing a few songs. It is wonderful that we can worship the same God in different languages. At the end of the service the congregation shows their appreciation. Getting hugs and handshakes from many of them was really heartwarming. It is good to be here!

Weavers

2007-03-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

Watching a lady tie strings on threads. She ties them in a pattern that shows up once it has been dyed. She is incredibly fast with her fingers. Salvador is displaying his technique on one of his looms.
The results of their weaving. It takes about 3 days of work just to make one of these skirts. The local ladies dressed us up. Beautiful.

Mike Praticing

2007-03-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

They found out that Mike could play organ so they plugged in the organ that hadn´t been played for many moons and he jumped on. They kept putting songs in front of him to play until they found ones for the service. Later that day in the church service Mike played. He cranked up the heat on the Spanish music and the organ went up in smoke (literally).

Visit to the Market

2007-03-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Pre-colonial Catholic Church in town. There was a convent in the back.We visited a large market. They sold everything that you could think of. Most of us bought something.
This is the way to move furniture!

Waiting for Breakfast

2007-03-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning. The sun comes up early and gives us a blue sky but its still a little chilly. We are killing a few minutes before breakfast.

Crazy Traffic

2007-03-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

The traffic is crazy. You have to see it to believe it. Busses wait for no one and seem to have the right of way, left of way and every other way.
We discover that 2 lane roads can actually handle at least 4 lanes and that is just in one direction!

Saturday - Working Day

2007-03-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

The school is at this point when we arrived.
The local workers are busy building the columns. Mike and Derek are the gophers.
Our job is to clean up. There was so much to do that it turned into an all day job.

Pastor George is doing the heavy work.
By the end of the day the site is all ready for another phase of construction!

We are tired but it was a great first day!

Saturday Morning

2007-03-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

5:30 its already light out. 6:30 a bunch of us are up and 7:30 its breakfast. We are not going to be hungry while we are here.
George finds friends. These have no clothes to give him. He also seems to be contemplating work.

We arrive at Camp Shalom

2007-03-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

We arrive at Casa Wick house at 8:00PM. Boy are we tired and hungry (but not grumpy).
Within minutes they are stuffing us with tons to eat. It was sooo good.
We unpack. Phil seems to be finding the best one.
Food energizes us so we unpack most of the supplies (at least the ones that arrived).

Drive to Camp Shalom

2007-03-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

Amazing scenery and crazy traffic. Twice we had to stop for 20-60 minutes for construction. Here are two boys moving some fruit by bricks drying in the sun. Have we got stories to tell when we get home!

Guatemala City Airport

2007-03-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

We got through the airport immigration and customs but 6 of our bags didn´t. Two of them were George and Cathy´s personal luggage. They have been mooching off us ever since. No sign of the bags as of Saturday night. Packing up the vans. We had two of them.

On the plane 6:05 am flight

2007-03-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Annette we got to the airport early. It was already a little busy because of March break. We had stacks of luggage!
We got checked okay and hopped on our little plane to Houston.

Leaving Church 2:30 am Friday

2007-03-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

Friday 2:30 am leaving church wide eyed and chipper.

Praise the Lord the time to go has come!

Web site link for school

2007-03-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

The link for the schools web site is
http://www.eduguate.com.
Check it out and see what we and the other teams are up to.

Packing up

2007-03-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

Packing up on Thursday night. What a huge pile of supplies we had.

Will it all fit in our bags? Will our bags weigh too much?

Its amazing it all fit, just. And many of the bags are right at the 50lb limit. It was meant to be.

It should be easy to pick out our bags at the airport.

The bags are waiting for us to pick them up at 2:30 am Friday morning!

Why do we feel called to Guatemala?

2007-03-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

Why would I like to go to Guatemala? To me it is an opportunity to do something for someone else. We talk about helping others and this is a chance to put that into practice. Why not here at home? We do that too, I am told that going to a third world country is a real eye-opener to the way we live here and gives us a better idea to how much we are blessed living in a country where we enjoy freedom of speech and religion. I would have a hard time imagining what it is like without what we call necessities. Outside of helping there I would like to find out how I can be of better use to God.
Thank you for helping us to do His will.
Bert Berends

I am the team secretary. Serving on a mission trip has been a desire of mine for a long time and when Elizabeth, my daughter, went on a service trip to Honduras that desire was strengthened. I am excited about this opportunity to serve my God and hopefully be of service to others. It will also be a unique opportunity to experience what it is like to live in a developing nation. John and I have been at Bethel since 1985. Along with Elizabeth we are involved in many aspects of life at Bethel. We enjoy being involved in the music ministry and I am also involved in the visual presentations as well as part of the children’s message team. Please pray for the team as we spend time together preparing for this service project.
Janet deWinter

I have been blessed to have been part of the Bethel family for twenty years. During that time, my daughter Stacie has gone on a number of service projects and it’s been rewarding to see her faith grow through those experiences. For quite some time I have yearned to go to some far flung location to demonstrate Christ’s love in a ‘hands on’ way. As years have gone by a string of commitments, timing, feelings of financial insecurity and who knows what else have always stood in the way of going on a service project. I am finally starting to clue in that there are times when you need to dive in with both feet and its okay to not always know how deep the water is nor be prepared for every big wave. I am healthy. I have a talent for building things. Somehow the finances always work out. What have I been waiting for? There is a need and I can help fill it. The time is now. So having jumped in I can’t wait to get there. I hope to contribute in a concrete way while also getting to know Christians in a completely different culture and environment. Most importantly I have a desire to grow another notch in my faith. I want to be stretched, to be reminded that “it’s not about me”. I look forward to an enriching experience and ask for the support of my Bethel family.
Raymond Drost

I’m excited to be a part of the team representing Bethel in Guatemala. All my life I’ve tried to seek God’s direction and feel that he has called me to be a part of this mission project. Many of my siblings have a heart for missions and either have been on the mission field or are currently serving the Lord in this way – its neat to get a chance to now go myself. One exciting part of this trip for me is that we’re building a Christian school. Christian education always has and continues to hold a special place in my heart. We have been blessed by the pioneering parents of the reformed faith who worked hard and sacrificed much to start the first Christian schools in the 40’s and beyond, of which Holland Marsh is a result – actually, it’s the oldest one in Canada (1943). What a blessing to see, 60+ years later, many other Christians from different faith backgrounds embracing it here - and what a blessing to be able to go to another country and share that gift with the people living there. It is my prayer that the people of Colegio Juan Wesley school may see Jesus through the hands of our team. Brother, let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you… In His Service, Wilma Drost.

I was involved in missions since since 1987. I believe that the supreme task of the church is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. I grew up in an Church environment where Church was just confined to the boundaries of our local Church. We were a very ingrown Church. In 1987 the Lord open my eyes for the needs of the world. The need to hear the Gospel but also the need of basic things that we normally take for granted; education, medical care, food, clean water a place to stay and to worship. It became very clear that the local Church doesn't exist for itself but to address the spiritual and physical needs of the world. Therefore Jesus' last words to His disciples was: “You will receive Power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria to the ends of the earth.” (Acts. 1:8) The HANDS trip to Guatemala is for me a fulfillment of that command: to be Jesus’ witnesses to people in Guatemala. Pastor Kobie

Why do I want to go on a mission trip? Going on a mission trip has been something I wanted to do ever since Arlene and I went to Romania in 1990 to adopt our son, Nic. During my time in Romania, I saw the need for help in developing countries was great. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and experience there. Both Arlene and I found it very evident that God was leading us to Romania and He was right beside us every step of the way. I always knew and have said to Arlene, "This is not the end, God has something more planned." The time and opportunity in my life was never really quite right until now. Until Guatemala. Just as God was leading me to Romania, He is now leading me to Guatemala.
As a third-generation supporter and firm believer of Christian education, building a Christian school for someone else is a perfect fit. This project is a wonderful opportunity to share with those less fortunate. I am looking forward to God's using me to touch someone else's life and bring them closer to God. Please pray for and help support our church project that together we may bring God the glory. In His Service,
Phil Hielema

I have the privilege of leading the HANDS team going to Guatemala. I have been a member of Bethel CRC for four years and am involved in GEMS and one of the musicians in our worship services. So why am I going?? In the early 1990’s, I served with World Missions in the Dominican Republic as a teacher trainer. When I left, part of my heart stayed, the part that longs to give all children an education. Worldwide Christian Schools took up the challenge of building schools for as many children around the world as possible. I was excited to become part of their board four years ago and dreamed of taking a team from our church. That dream will come true in March. I hope it is the first of many teams our congregation sends in the coming years. Pray for us as we continue to prepare for this trip. Having lived in the third world for several years, I know that there will be many challenges, some we don’t even realize yet! Pray for me as I work on improving my Spanish which I haven’t used much since I left the mission field.
Trudy Jager

I’m Cathy Lubbers and I’m excited about being a HANDS team member this coming March. I am a grade seven/eight teacher at Alliston Community Christian School and became aware of Worldwide Christian Schools through our school’s sponsorship of this organization. Our school sponsors a school in the Dominican Republic and its been heartwarming to see how our support has been appreciated. I am looking forward to being involved in the construction of a school in another part of the world that so badly needs Christian education accessible to its people. Before coming to Bethel, George and I were members of Lucknow Christian Reformed Church and were part of a mission trip in 1990 to the Dominican Republic in which we built two churches and a parsonage. It was an experience that truly enriched my life and made me realize how truly blessed we are to live in a country where we have ready access to so many resources, including educational ones. I hope to be a blessing to those I serve in Guatemala but am also looking forward to learning from them, being blessed by them and most of all experiencing God in a meaningful way.

I am Pastor George, one of the spiritual leaders on the team providing encouragement and personal devotions for the team along with Pastor Kobie. I am also a licensed carpenter and have 27 years of construction experience so it will be fun to get my hands dirty again for a little while. Blisters may become a problem though so I may need Bruce’s doctoring skills. I am looking forward to traveling to Guatemala with Cathy to see a new culture, taste new foods. These projects allow us to see Third World countries, not the resort life which is often very North American, but as it really is. These trips often open the eyes of team members and mine too, and help us to find perspective on what we need and do not need and what it means to be joyful in all circumstances. It teaches humility, which I always can use. Thank You for allowing me opportunity to serve God in this way!

Hi everyone! My name is Andrea Mount and i'm 22 years of age. I am really looking forward to this particular missions trip because I want to see the world God created, in reality. Don't get me wrong, the 5 star hotels are nice and comfy beds are a treat, but when reality kicks in these children that we are going to be helping, really need us and I'm excited to see a new country and a new way of living. I've been on one other missions trip in 1999 and that was to Red Deer, Alberta. It was fun and I met a ton of new people, and if you know me, I'm a people person! When i first heard about Guatemala, I hadn't been in church for a couple of weeks, but that particular Sunday that I went, Trudy came up to the pulpit to mention about this trip, and I leaned over to my mom and said, "I'm going to sign up!" And, well, here I am getting ready to go in three months! I can't wait to see the country and meet the people there. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, and all the support from the church has been a blessing! I can't wait to come home and tell everyone about it!

There is a very good reason for me being apart of this mission trip. I believe the Lord is definitely calling me to help out where ever that may be. I have been a member of Bethel for the past 33 years. I have spent my whole life here and now I am raising my family up here in a Christian surrounding. My reason for wanting to go is quite simple! Each one of us has been created with talents; I believe my talents include working with my hands and the passion for building things. In my line of work I love building retailing walls, so what better opportunity is there! We have the opportunity to build walls for a Christian school. In my family’s situation now, it is not feasible for my children to attend Christian school but we raise them in a Christian setting. By doing this I am able to help other families have that opportunity to learn in a Christian school, in a Christian environment. If that isn't getting out there and helping to spread the good news of the Lord and what He has and is doing for us I don't know what is. I may not be spreading His word directly but I am helping by providing the location. Some may say why aren't you doing something closer to home. I answer with this 'an opportunity presented itself and we can't always pick the location, and leave it to faith!'
Derek Tensen

I’m Bruce Thompson and I’m the teams Medic, I’ve been attending Bethel for 12 years. When I heard about the HANDS team I thought that it would be an excellent experience to do God’s work. I felt a strong urge to join the team. I enjoy working with my hands and learning new things so the ability to go to a different country and take on a task that I haven’t done before was so appealing to me. I’m so looking forward to going to Guatemala to be with the team and the people. It will be exciting to see how God works through this ministry!

Hi everyone! I'm Mike Van Leeuwen. I'm really excited to go with our HANDS team to Guatemala and March 9th is coming up quickly! When I first heard that Bethel was sending a team to build a school in Guatemala I jumped at the chance to go. This is a opportunity to serve God in a way that not many people get the chance to and also to get a glimpse at how the other half of the world lives. Guatemala needs schools so badly and to have the opportunity to help them get a Christian education will be a blessing for both them and our team. This trip is going to be a learning experience for all of us and bring us closer to God. Thank you to our sending team for your support, without you this trip would have been impossible.

H.A.N.D.S. Team

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Standing Left to Right…
Raymond Drost, Trudy Jager, Phil Hielema, Wilma Drost, Janet deWinter, Bruce Thompson, Cathy Lubbers, Derek Tensen, Pastor Kobie du Plessis, Bert Berends

Sitting Left to Right…
Mike VanLeeuwen, Andrea Mount, Pastor George Lubbers

The H.A.N.D.S. team is made up of members from the Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Newmarket, ON.

Logo for the Service Trip

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This is the logo that we put together for our Service trip