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One thing Kitty loves to do is to drink water out of the sink. I usually keep a cup at the sink filled with water for her which she enjoys...But every chance she gets, she drinks it straight out of the tap.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Church
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Yesterday at church I happened to have my camera with me and I was glad I did. One of the children's Sunday School classes sang a couple of songs and they did a great job. They were very clear in their pronunication of words and you could tell that they were enjoying it. A man from the United States spoke at the service, he was definitely a tall guy compared to the Guatemalans! At the end of the service they had a time of prayer for the pastor which I thought was really neat. .JPG)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Easter processionals
One of the amazing things to see during Easter week are the carpets which the people make in Guatemala mainly in Antigua Guatemala. The carpets are made before a Catholic procession is to pass by their house or business. The carpets are made from sawdust, flowers, leaves and other natural products which they want to use. After the carpet is made a Catholic priest blesses the carpets, then the processionals can pass over the carpet.
The processionals are made up of people carrying the statue, Roman guards and a band. People who want to carry the statue have to sign up months in advance and then pay money to participate in the parade.It is an interesting thing to see culturally but spiritually it is sad to see the people worshipping the statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and others when they could be worshipping Jesus Christ and celebrating His resurrection from the dead.
Ronald McDonald
During Easter I had a friend, Karen Carney, visit. We met in Costa Rica at language school and she lives in Mexico. I told her that we had to have our picture made with Ronald McDonald. So we did...April prayer letter
THE NICODEMUS PROJECT, GUATEMALA CITY
April 2010
This month we are starting a new feature. Each month we will be featuring a different missionary family and introducing them to you. That way you can put a face with the names of the people who you pray for in the prayer letter.
This month we want to introduce Richard and Sharon Cook to you.
In July they will celebrate 30 years of service with the FMB / IMB. They were in Panama for 26 years before coming to Guatemala City in September 2006. They have three daughters, Toni, Jennifer, and Rebecca -- all married. Jennifer has a 3 1/2 year old son, Toni has a daughter who will be one year old in May, and Rebecca will have a son, presumably in June. All three daughters are currently in the Dallas / Fort Worth area.
Sharon grew up in Nigeria, where her parents were missionaries. Richard grew up in Oklahoma.
If you would like to see more information about them you can find them on facebook or also on their blogspot: http://cooksguatemala.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 1 Thank you for joining us in prayer this month for the different requests. Thank you for your willingness to serve in the ministry of praying! Thank you for your dedication to the Nicdoemus projet!
Friday April 2 Richard Cook asks that you would pray that the seminary would be able to reach leaders for training, wherever they may be serving or wanting to serve -- also, that both the Seminary and the students have the financial resources for the training the leaders need to effectively minister. (A group of students from Honduras were not able to come to study at the seminary in Guatemala because of financial reasons).
Saturday April 3 George continues to struggle with a heavy schedule and a steep learning curve. One day, he was on a video conference for 2 ½ hours. That same day there was a bad accident which prevented the office receptionist from getting to work. So there was the added stress of the phone ringing constantly with no one to answer. Then in the afternoon people were standing in line to see him. Pray that he will have good health, wisdom and ability to leave his work and relax instead of being on duty 24/7. His schedule and Helen’s tend to clash as he is going all day, but in the evening, the cell groups meet which is one of Helen’s busiest times.
Sunday April 4 Pray today for the leaders at Impacto Biblico Church including Manuel, Siomara, David, Mayari, Helen and others. Pray that in whatever aspect they are serving in that they would feel a sense of God’s presence. Continue to pray that God would lead more people to the church and more leaders to the church.
Monday April 5 Carol Wilkinson had a good meeting with Carlos recently. He has some good ideas about how to reach out to his fellow university students. However it is a difficult group to reach because of fears they have about sharing personal information, security concerns and other issues. Pray that Carol and Carlos and others who help in the ministry would remember that nothing is impossible with God.
Tuesday April 6 David and Mayari continue to wait for religious visas so they can travel to the US and then eventually to Spain. As we all know being in the transition process is not an easy time. Thankfully the kids are doing okay with it. In the waiting time they are taking English classes which of course will help them in the US. Continue to pray for them as they wait. Pray that they would receive their visas today.
Wednesday April 7 The breakfast with Helen’s Curves friends didn’t happen last month. The dads of two of the women died on the same day. One had been sick for an extended time; the other just quit breathing as he napped. Helen was able to visit with both of her friends in the funeral home. In fact she and Sharon had coffee with the friend whose dad died suddenly earlier on the day of his death. Pray that the love of God will shine out through Helen and Sharon as they go to their separate gyms and that the ladies will be drawn to them and want to know what makes the difference in their lives.
Thursday April 8 There seems to be a new spirit of enthusiasm at Impacto Biblico Baptist Church. Some of the members are meeting in prayer every Thursday night, and one Saturday morning they had a prayer meeting from 6-8 a.m. On Easter Sunday they will be having breakfast at the church at 8, inviting friends and family members to join them. Pray that they will continue to be encouraged in the Lord and will lift up their eyes to the fields that are white unto harvest.
Friday April 9 There is a team of university students coming from Florida in May to work with Carol. Pray for her as she makes plans for the team and pray for the team as they prepare to come. Pray that the officials at the universities would be open to having them have activities on campus.
Saturday April 10 Happy Birthday Ellis Leagans! Ellis and Judy Leagans will be returning to Guatemala in the springtime. Packing to return to the field can be quite a chore. Pray that they would have wisdom and guidance in what items to pack. Saying goodbye is difficult as well, as they begin the saying goodbye process pray that God would continue to give them a sense of peace through it all.
Sunday April 11 George made a 4-day trip to Honduras with Adam Hammond and Mark Fricke to meet the new Logistics Coordinator there, check on some property and just get a better understanding of what is involved in the work and logistic needs there. This month he will probably be traveling to Belize to check on the sale of some property there. There are several properties in Guatemala that he is also trying to sell. He does not enjoy this aspect of his job. Pray that he will find buyers that will give a fair market price and that he can get these properties sold.
Monday April 12 The Monday night group that meets at the Hardemans’ has begun the chronological Bible story series. Though most of the members of the group attended Catholic school growing up, they admit that they have never really read or studied the Bible. One didn’t know what the chapter and verse numbers meant. Several were amazed to learn that the fruit that Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden was not an apple. Pray that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes to the truth of God’s Word and that it would overcome their ingrained religious traditions so that they may come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
Tuesday April 13 Last month Helen attended part of a training session for a pro-life group that has an office near her house. All of the women involved are very Catholic, but they said they need more counselors involved in this ministry. Helen will be attending another conference today and praying for God’s direction as to whether to get involved here. Pray for her as she relates to the women and seeks God’s will.
Wednesday April 14 The Wednesday night group (this is the group that use to meet on Tuesdays) that meets at the Hardemans’ finally had its first meeting last month. One of the women had said that she would not be able to come any more because she has moved to her new house and is a bit nervous about going home alone after 9; however, after our first meeting she said she really needed to be in the group because otherwise she tends to neglect her prayer and Bible study without the group’s accountability. Judith has been inviting other friends to join the group. Pray that they will accept the invitation and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Thursday April 15 Many of the ladies who attend the Thursday morning Bible study where Sharon Cook teaches have been in Guatemala for many years. Pray today that their hearts would be open anew to God and all that He desires to do here in Guatemala.
Pray for Sharon as she continues teaching from the book of Hebrews.
Friday April 16 Pray for Adam and Jennifer Hammond and their relationships with their neighbors. Many of their neighbors are asking spiritual questions. As the Hammonds receive these questions from Catholics, Atheists, and others with a mix of religion pray that they would have wisdom in the answers that they give. Also pray that the neighbors would have receptive hearts to the true word of God.
Saturday April 17 Sharon Cook will lead another time of card making at Impacto Biblico Baptist Church. The ones who were at the last one really enjoyed making the cards. Pray that they would come and bring more friends to the activity today.
Sunday April 18 Manuel has asked Helen to teach the adult Sunday school class at Impacto Biblico. She is doing a series on the beginnings and growth of the early church, focusing on what they did right that we should imitate as well as their errors that we should avoid. Pray for her as she prepares the lessons and for those attending that the Holy Spirit would speak truth to each one and break bonds of tradition that keep us doing what we’ve always done just because we’ve always done it that way.
Monday April 19 Guide us as we pray for the beginning of new Crown groups. We will need to see if this will be a good time to start or if we should wait until August because of vacation schedules, etc. Though most schools go from January through October, they do take a break in June which could cause people to miss.
Tuesday April 20 Happy Birthday Sharon Cook! As Sharon celebrates her birthday today pray for her children and other family members who would like to be able to celebrate with her but are unable to because of living in different countries. Praise God for another year of life to celebrate.
Wednesday April 21 Please continue praying for the salvation of 100 Nicodemus people this year. Pray that we will live in anticipation of God’s outpouring to make this happen. Pray that we will prepare ourselves to disciple them and incorporate them into our cell groups and church.
Thursday April 22 Pray for the small group that is meeting at Manuel and Siomara’s house. Continue to pray that the eyes and hearts of the group members would be open to the teachings of the word of God. Pray that there would be a spirit of unity in the group.
Friday April 23The conference that Manuel, Siomara and Helen attended on Integral Church Growth was very good. It convinced them even more about the importance of the use of cell groups to reach the “Nicodemus” people with the gospel. Pray that they will be able to put into practice some of the principles they learned so that they can be more effective in training leadership and multiplying the cell groups.
Saturday April 24 “This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Take today to simply praise God for the new day. Take today to enjoy God’s creation which He has blessed us with whether we are in Guatemala City, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina or wherever it might be.
Sunday April 25 Pray for Siomara as she teaches the preschoolers in Sunday school and Lidia as she teaches the adolescents at Impacto Biblico. Pray for Fredy as he leads the prayer ministry. David heads up the music ministry, but he and his family are just waiting on their religious visas to go to the USA to pastor a Hispanic mission there. Pray for Manuel as he begins working on how to develop cell group materials that will be coordinated with his sermons. Pray that the Lord will continue to raise up more leadership.
Monday April 26 We are praying and looking at the possibility of starting other Crown Financial study groups. Pray that we would have wisdom and guidance about where to start these groups and the time of the group meeting whether it is during the day or at night.
Tuesday April 27 Tonight the Guatemala mission family will say goodbye to two families who have served faithfully in Guatemala. Even though these two families didn’t serve directly with the Nicodemus team, there is always a sense of loss when part of the mission family leaves. Pray for the families as they begin their retirement and praise God for the ministry which the families had here in Guatemala City.
Wednesday April 28 Marco is a neighbor of Richard and Sharon Cook. He seems ready to start a Crown Financial study course. Pray the Cooks and Marco as they make plans for the study. Pray that God would lead the people to the course.
Thursday April 29 Making decisions for your children’s education is something that missionaries have to face. As the Hammond’s family looks at schools for Arabella to start kindergarten pray that they would have wisdom and guidance about what to do. Even though there is a little time before she starts, they have to begin the application process for the schools which can be a lengthy process. Pray that they would have a sense of peace and comfort regarding this decision.
Friday April 30 Pray today for the leadership of the IMB. Pray that they would follow God’s leadership in decisions that they make. As the presidential search committee looks to make their decision for president of the IMB pray that they would have God’s peace about the decision and pray for the person nominate to have a sense of God’s calling to this position.
Our heart’s desire is to see the Nicodemus people come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and to see them gathered together to worship and grow in faith, fellowship, and service. If you would like to contact us, our email is hardeman@sembrador.net. Visit our weblog at http://spaces.msn.com/nicodemusproject to “meet” out team.
(Please feel free to make copies of this prayer letter to distribute to your church, prayer group, missions organization, Sunday school class, etc. We depend on your prayers.)
April 2010
This month we are starting a new feature. Each month we will be featuring a different missionary family and introducing them to you. That way you can put a face with the names of the people who you pray for in the prayer letter.
This month we want to introduce Richard and Sharon Cook to you.
In July they will celebrate 30 years of service with the FMB / IMB. They were in Panama for 26 years before coming to Guatemala City in September 2006. They have three daughters, Toni, Jennifer, and Rebecca -- all married. Jennifer has a 3 1/2 year old son, Toni has a daughter who will be one year old in May, and Rebecca will have a son, presumably in June. All three daughters are currently in the Dallas / Fort Worth area.
Sharon grew up in Nigeria, where her parents were missionaries. Richard grew up in Oklahoma.
If you would like to see more information about them you can find them on facebook or also on their blogspot: http://cooksguatemala.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 1 Thank you for joining us in prayer this month for the different requests. Thank you for your willingness to serve in the ministry of praying! Thank you for your dedication to the Nicdoemus projet!
Friday April 2 Richard Cook asks that you would pray that the seminary would be able to reach leaders for training, wherever they may be serving or wanting to serve -- also, that both the Seminary and the students have the financial resources for the training the leaders need to effectively minister. (A group of students from Honduras were not able to come to study at the seminary in Guatemala because of financial reasons).
Saturday April 3 George continues to struggle with a heavy schedule and a steep learning curve. One day, he was on a video conference for 2 ½ hours. That same day there was a bad accident which prevented the office receptionist from getting to work. So there was the added stress of the phone ringing constantly with no one to answer. Then in the afternoon people were standing in line to see him. Pray that he will have good health, wisdom and ability to leave his work and relax instead of being on duty 24/7. His schedule and Helen’s tend to clash as he is going all day, but in the evening, the cell groups meet which is one of Helen’s busiest times.
Sunday April 4 Pray today for the leaders at Impacto Biblico Church including Manuel, Siomara, David, Mayari, Helen and others. Pray that in whatever aspect they are serving in that they would feel a sense of God’s presence. Continue to pray that God would lead more people to the church and more leaders to the church.
Monday April 5 Carol Wilkinson had a good meeting with Carlos recently. He has some good ideas about how to reach out to his fellow university students. However it is a difficult group to reach because of fears they have about sharing personal information, security concerns and other issues. Pray that Carol and Carlos and others who help in the ministry would remember that nothing is impossible with God.
Tuesday April 6 David and Mayari continue to wait for religious visas so they can travel to the US and then eventually to Spain. As we all know being in the transition process is not an easy time. Thankfully the kids are doing okay with it. In the waiting time they are taking English classes which of course will help them in the US. Continue to pray for them as they wait. Pray that they would receive their visas today.
Wednesday April 7 The breakfast with Helen’s Curves friends didn’t happen last month. The dads of two of the women died on the same day. One had been sick for an extended time; the other just quit breathing as he napped. Helen was able to visit with both of her friends in the funeral home. In fact she and Sharon had coffee with the friend whose dad died suddenly earlier on the day of his death. Pray that the love of God will shine out through Helen and Sharon as they go to their separate gyms and that the ladies will be drawn to them and want to know what makes the difference in their lives.
Thursday April 8 There seems to be a new spirit of enthusiasm at Impacto Biblico Baptist Church. Some of the members are meeting in prayer every Thursday night, and one Saturday morning they had a prayer meeting from 6-8 a.m. On Easter Sunday they will be having breakfast at the church at 8, inviting friends and family members to join them. Pray that they will continue to be encouraged in the Lord and will lift up their eyes to the fields that are white unto harvest.
Friday April 9 There is a team of university students coming from Florida in May to work with Carol. Pray for her as she makes plans for the team and pray for the team as they prepare to come. Pray that the officials at the universities would be open to having them have activities on campus.
Saturday April 10 Happy Birthday Ellis Leagans! Ellis and Judy Leagans will be returning to Guatemala in the springtime. Packing to return to the field can be quite a chore. Pray that they would have wisdom and guidance in what items to pack. Saying goodbye is difficult as well, as they begin the saying goodbye process pray that God would continue to give them a sense of peace through it all.
Sunday April 11 George made a 4-day trip to Honduras with Adam Hammond and Mark Fricke to meet the new Logistics Coordinator there, check on some property and just get a better understanding of what is involved in the work and logistic needs there. This month he will probably be traveling to Belize to check on the sale of some property there. There are several properties in Guatemala that he is also trying to sell. He does not enjoy this aspect of his job. Pray that he will find buyers that will give a fair market price and that he can get these properties sold.
Monday April 12 The Monday night group that meets at the Hardemans’ has begun the chronological Bible story series. Though most of the members of the group attended Catholic school growing up, they admit that they have never really read or studied the Bible. One didn’t know what the chapter and verse numbers meant. Several were amazed to learn that the fruit that Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden was not an apple. Pray that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes to the truth of God’s Word and that it would overcome their ingrained religious traditions so that they may come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
Tuesday April 13 Last month Helen attended part of a training session for a pro-life group that has an office near her house. All of the women involved are very Catholic, but they said they need more counselors involved in this ministry. Helen will be attending another conference today and praying for God’s direction as to whether to get involved here. Pray for her as she relates to the women and seeks God’s will.
Wednesday April 14 The Wednesday night group (this is the group that use to meet on Tuesdays) that meets at the Hardemans’ finally had its first meeting last month. One of the women had said that she would not be able to come any more because she has moved to her new house and is a bit nervous about going home alone after 9; however, after our first meeting she said she really needed to be in the group because otherwise she tends to neglect her prayer and Bible study without the group’s accountability. Judith has been inviting other friends to join the group. Pray that they will accept the invitation and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Thursday April 15 Many of the ladies who attend the Thursday morning Bible study where Sharon Cook teaches have been in Guatemala for many years. Pray today that their hearts would be open anew to God and all that He desires to do here in Guatemala.
Pray for Sharon as she continues teaching from the book of Hebrews.
Friday April 16 Pray for Adam and Jennifer Hammond and their relationships with their neighbors. Many of their neighbors are asking spiritual questions. As the Hammonds receive these questions from Catholics, Atheists, and others with a mix of religion pray that they would have wisdom in the answers that they give. Also pray that the neighbors would have receptive hearts to the true word of God.
Saturday April 17 Sharon Cook will lead another time of card making at Impacto Biblico Baptist Church. The ones who were at the last one really enjoyed making the cards. Pray that they would come and bring more friends to the activity today.
Sunday April 18 Manuel has asked Helen to teach the adult Sunday school class at Impacto Biblico. She is doing a series on the beginnings and growth of the early church, focusing on what they did right that we should imitate as well as their errors that we should avoid. Pray for her as she prepares the lessons and for those attending that the Holy Spirit would speak truth to each one and break bonds of tradition that keep us doing what we’ve always done just because we’ve always done it that way.
Monday April 19 Guide us as we pray for the beginning of new Crown groups. We will need to see if this will be a good time to start or if we should wait until August because of vacation schedules, etc. Though most schools go from January through October, they do take a break in June which could cause people to miss.
Tuesday April 20 Happy Birthday Sharon Cook! As Sharon celebrates her birthday today pray for her children and other family members who would like to be able to celebrate with her but are unable to because of living in different countries. Praise God for another year of life to celebrate.
Wednesday April 21 Please continue praying for the salvation of 100 Nicodemus people this year. Pray that we will live in anticipation of God’s outpouring to make this happen. Pray that we will prepare ourselves to disciple them and incorporate them into our cell groups and church.
Thursday April 22 Pray for the small group that is meeting at Manuel and Siomara’s house. Continue to pray that the eyes and hearts of the group members would be open to the teachings of the word of God. Pray that there would be a spirit of unity in the group.
Friday April 23The conference that Manuel, Siomara and Helen attended on Integral Church Growth was very good. It convinced them even more about the importance of the use of cell groups to reach the “Nicodemus” people with the gospel. Pray that they will be able to put into practice some of the principles they learned so that they can be more effective in training leadership and multiplying the cell groups.
Saturday April 24 “This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Take today to simply praise God for the new day. Take today to enjoy God’s creation which He has blessed us with whether we are in Guatemala City, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina or wherever it might be.
Sunday April 25 Pray for Siomara as she teaches the preschoolers in Sunday school and Lidia as she teaches the adolescents at Impacto Biblico. Pray for Fredy as he leads the prayer ministry. David heads up the music ministry, but he and his family are just waiting on their religious visas to go to the USA to pastor a Hispanic mission there. Pray for Manuel as he begins working on how to develop cell group materials that will be coordinated with his sermons. Pray that the Lord will continue to raise up more leadership.
Monday April 26 We are praying and looking at the possibility of starting other Crown Financial study groups. Pray that we would have wisdom and guidance about where to start these groups and the time of the group meeting whether it is during the day or at night.
Tuesday April 27 Tonight the Guatemala mission family will say goodbye to two families who have served faithfully in Guatemala. Even though these two families didn’t serve directly with the Nicodemus team, there is always a sense of loss when part of the mission family leaves. Pray for the families as they begin their retirement and praise God for the ministry which the families had here in Guatemala City.
Wednesday April 28 Marco is a neighbor of Richard and Sharon Cook. He seems ready to start a Crown Financial study course. Pray the Cooks and Marco as they make plans for the study. Pray that God would lead the people to the course.
Thursday April 29 Making decisions for your children’s education is something that missionaries have to face. As the Hammond’s family looks at schools for Arabella to start kindergarten pray that they would have wisdom and guidance about what to do. Even though there is a little time before she starts, they have to begin the application process for the schools which can be a lengthy process. Pray that they would have a sense of peace and comfort regarding this decision.
Friday April 30 Pray today for the leadership of the IMB. Pray that they would follow God’s leadership in decisions that they make. As the presidential search committee looks to make their decision for president of the IMB pray that they would have God’s peace about the decision and pray for the person nominate to have a sense of God’s calling to this position.
Our heart’s desire is to see the Nicodemus people come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and to see them gathered together to worship and grow in faith, fellowship, and service. If you would like to contact us, our email is hardeman@sembrador.net. Visit our weblog at http://spaces.msn.com/nicodemusproject to “meet” out team.
(Please feel free to make copies of this prayer letter to distribute to your church, prayer group, missions organization, Sunday school class, etc. We depend on your prayers.)
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