Reporting, Reflection, and Revelation

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know on a venue separate from Facebook, that I plan to leave that social media site in the near future.   It has been one of my main forms of communication over the past several years and there are things I absolutely love about it.  It is an easy way to stay in touch with friends and family far away. However, there are some things that cause me great concern about it as well. CENSORSHIP- They have now come to place of deciding what is proper material to print and post and many of my friends have had their opinions blocked or even their accounts blocked for expressing Christian views. PRIVACY VIOLATIONS and DATA SCANNING - We all know they are getting as much information about us as they possibly can, and selling our private information to the highest bidder NEW GLOBAL CURRENCY connected to Facebook - See link below to hear Steve Cioccolanti's message about this  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzbaO--Q34Y I joined an alternate soci

Recently in a ministry time in Kansas City during one of my classes, the instructor asked us to just wait and ask the Lord to show us something.   The first thing I saw was a poppy.  You know the fake kind, like the veteran's give out for donations and you hang from your rear view mirror.  At least my mom always did that. I wondered "Why a poppy?" and then the next picture that came to mind was one that I had recently seen on facebook.  My friends Smitty and Donna Brewer had gone to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and posted this incredible picture of poppies that overlooked the fields where so many had died for our freedom and the deliverance of the world from a horrible dictator. I found out later through researching this that poppies were prevalent in the fields because disasters and wars had unearthed buried poppy seeds from decades before.  It was the bombs, and the digging of trenches and even the burial of their dead soldiers that caused the land

These pictures show why our main road out is closed.  Basically, because of tropical rains, and poor drainage and sewage from an overpopulated area, the side of the mountain is caving in. An attempt a couple of years ago, to stop the damage was too little too late.   The concrete they poured down the side of the mountain still stands but underneath is a cavern, whose size is unknown.   And this is the underside of our road. Not to mention that there are two neighborhoods right at the top of this falling wall of dirt that are in imminent danger.  The people are hearing large rumblings in the night and debris continues to fall. The next picture is our back way out, which is also damaged by rain and erosion.  This pic was taken this afternoon. Traffic in San Cristobal has become a living nightmare, as all the traffic from our area is diverted the back way out.   The word is Spanish is most adequate..."insoportable"...which means "beyond all bearing" or &

Here a few of our kids, picked up an odd job between their music classes helping the neighbors haul dirt and rock.   I would hope they paid them well but probably not much.  I did see them chowing down on some fruit in front of Casaverde later so they might have given them fruit for their labor or they bought it with their earnings. I am not sure who the munchkin in the PJs is but he was helping to sweep up.

Today, I woke up like a normal Friday, my only real "day off" in the week.   Everything in my world is calm and normal.   Yes, there are the little irritations of life, like a stubbed toe that kept me from wearing shoes for the past three days, and traffic issues, there are always traffic issues!   Oh and my precious puppy that likes to eat my furniture..... and on and on..... but overall, my life is really calm and peaceful. Today my thoughts cannot help but go to the families on the other side of the city, whose whole world literally turned upside down one week ago.   These people lived at the base of a ravine. Why they would ever agree to move there I will never know.  If I understand correctly, they were squatters who had been relocated there because someone wanted the land they were previously on. There were warnings that the area was unsafe. (In reality, no ravine in Central America during the heavy rainy season would be a safe place to be. Especially if you lived i

In July, we had our mid-year concert, in a building still under construction, so please excuse the mess all around.   Here are a few highlights.... Bringing together the band and the singers Awaiting in expectation their turn to shine! Student teachers leading us in worship Our Princes singing about the Greatness of God Our Princesses singing about the Love of God Focused on One Thing - True Worship Beginning Guitar Class Dancers in season and out Giving it their all - Dancing for the King Our little drummer boy actually playing for the boys choir And here are our young piano players accompanying the choir as well. As I look back over these snapshots in time, and consider the hearts of those God has given me to minister to,  I am so thankful for the privilege to be a part of this.  I am thankful for all those who have sowed to make this Academy possible.   The Academy really is a light shining the glory of God into the city of