Update: September 1, 2005

I just returned from a very productive trip to Guatemala. Pastor Jorge Cerritos and I have been working closely together and he truly is becoming as close to me as my own family. He is one of two men who have been called to spread the Gospel among the refugees whom we are now supporting in Guatemala. We have been preparing for a group of about 20 people from Tennessee and Virginia to conduct The LORD Will Provide's very first medical and construction short-term mission trip November 6-13. Everything is coming together very nicely and then some.

During my last trip (August 14-21) we had a group of three Guatemalan doctors (2-family practice and 1-Ob/gyn) contact us to see if they could help the refugee people by conducting a one-day medical clinic on Sunday, September 25 (Before I had even left Texas on this 13th trip, the LORD had already led me to book my 14th trip back to Guatemala September 14-26). We met with the lead doctor and made plans for the three doctors to see 150 refugee patients in 6 hours. The LORD Will Provide will be donating the medication. We'll start the day with a worship service and we'll be praying for and with each individual as they come in for care. A group of local women have also agreed to cut the hair of the children who may need something to do while other family members see the doctors. This one-day clinic has given us the perfect opportunity to work out any "bugs" before the big group comes down in November. It's been a long process and 13 trips (so far) to Guatemala, but we're finally starting to see the fruit of our preparation and relationship building in Guatemala and in the US.

I am also overjoyed that my brother, Patrick, who had the original vision of this mission in Guatemala, will be returning with me in November for the first time since our original trip two years ago. He is very excited about going back and I am so happy to have him there. My sister Theresa from Virginia and one of her two daughter's will also be making the trip in November. What a wonderful God we serve.

As I look back over these past two years it has been a long haul. I praise the Lord for the faith He gave me to believe Him. I know that every word He has told me will come to pass. He has led me to form relationships in Guatemala and here at home that I never would have imagined two years ago. And today, here we are at the threshold of a brand new work in Guatemala... the door is now open and we're about to walk through it. Our first mission trip. What a great feeling! I will be honest, the road to get to this point has been dark at times and seemingly endless. If it were up to me, we'd have done this a long time ago. But I know God had to prepare us and I know His timing is perfect.

There were those times when giants we faced seemed so enormous that they could never be defeated. But then we overcame them... not by our own strength, but by the awesome power of our Living God. He truly is all-powerful. There is nothing impossible for Him. Absolutely nothing! For if He is for us, who can be against us? After all, the Guatemala ministry was His idea and so He has provided.

Of course, He loves to work through His creation... through all of us. There have been so many of you that have prayed for us. We thank you. There have been many of you that have sent along financial support. We thank you. There have been some of you who have given clothes, medicine, Christian materials, Bibles and so much more. We thank you. There have been churches that have allowed me to come in and share this incredible God-story that continues to unfold. We thank you. There have been some of you who have offered encouragement along the way. We thank you.


At this moment we're seeing some light at the end of the tunnel and it seemed a perfect place to pause and say "thank you." As you know, it takes the entire body of Christ working together to accomplish God's will in this world. Some people to go and some people to send. Some people to pray and some people to give. Some people to build and some people to heal. Fingers, feet, legs, ears and every other part of the body are very important to the success and health of the whole body. No one part is greater than another. As each body part needs the other... so The LORD Will Provide will always need you.

Please continue to pray for us and to write. We love to hear from you.

In Christ,

Steve