Six of the Pineywoods staff and three Pineywoods board members recently returned from a week-long mission trip to Guatemala.  They were serving in the village of Vasquez, Totonicapan and went to construct two block homes for widows in that community.  The construction of the homes was funded by the PowerPlus Youth Camp 2007 mission offering.  By the end of 2008 five similar trips will have been taken to construct a total of 10 block homes.

 

While there the staff and board members worked with Teri Litrell, a missionary through Hope for the Hungry, who has made an amazing impact on that village during her sixteen-year tenure.  The group was amazed at the expanse, diversity, and obvious fruits of her ministry.  While there, they met three local men who have taken extended mission trips to other countries to share the gospel with “poor” people.  The staff was humbled by the outward focus of the believers in Vasquez and were inspired by their missionary spirit.

 

The staff not only constructed two homes and assisted in various areas of Teri’s ministry, but was also inspired by the heart of the people – a heart obviously changed by a relationship with the Lord Jesus, a heart not focused on personal wants or needs, but a heart with an intense desire to share the love of Jesus with their community and with cultures different from their own.  These people who were poor in possessions were very rich in spirit and took from what little they had and invested it in the lives of others.

 

The Pineywoods staff will be forever impacted by this amazing experience and would like to thank the board of trustees for their support of this mission trip.