Moving Day approaching...

As moving day approaches, we are working frantically to get the house at Centennial Camp ready to move into. We now have power that runs from the transformer all the way into the house! And water that comes from the well and out of the faucets! With few glitches, John Lohrenz and Johnny worked hard for two days on these projects. We will have to take two days out this week for shopping in the capital for the team that arrives on the 3rd and two days to attend the annual regional meetings of all of the Solola churches. Then it is back to moving and preparing for our team. John and Jan will spend the first part of the last week with us before joining us to work with the team from Mentor, OH. It will be a hectic next two weeks, but the excitement of getting moved to Centennial Camp and then exposing a new team to missions in Guatemala is worth it!













I included this to show the "mountain" behind our house. We have met the owners, who want to build a house on top and assure us they will build a retaining wall (before the rains start?). They seem like a nice family who want us to help them with their English.






Maria
jcoker@caminternational.org

Almost ready!

Well, a couple of more weeks and we will be moved in! Johnny is working very hard on installing light fixtures, hooking up the plumbing and sewer and installing bathroom fixtures. (I never knew how much was involved in getting the water in a well to come out my faucet!) Thanks to your generosity, we were able to draw money from CAM to get these things done in lieu of rent for the next three years or so. With this exchange, we are not seen as "cash cows" to the Camp committee, the Camp still owns everything, but we could go ahead and get moved in and working.

After the move, we are prepared for a team from Mentor, OH, to join us in early February. When they return to the States, we will follow shortly for the Missions Conference at First Bible Church in Decatur, AL. We plan to see all of our area churches at that time also! Upon our return here, we have teams lined up to work at the Camp thru June! We are excited that we will be working with some new groups and some old friends! We are also looking into having an intern joining us this summer - there seems to be a lot of interest in camping ministry!

Thank you for your prayers for us! We are excited to be moving and getting the Camp ready for groups, even if it is just day camps to start!

Maria

jcoker@caminternational.org

Jesus El Redentor - Argueta

Yesterday we began our scheduled visits to area centroamerican churches. We, of course, had been attending the Panajachel church and had visited a couple of the other churches, but wanted to make scheduled visits to all of the "member" churches of Centennial Camp. Our visit yesterday was to the Jesus El Redentor church in Argueta. This is a small church close to the Camp. They have asked for prayer for two things: 1) a pastor for the church and 2) a church building. The building they are meeting in was once a medical clinic that Ruth Aju ran. It is very small and it would be difficult for them to grow any in this building. They have property adjoining the present building and plans for the future church. Also, a traveling pastor comes once or twice a month to preach, with the elders of the church covering the other Sundays. The elders are not seminary trained and they farm or hold other jobs during the week. Please keep this church in your prayers.

Maria
jcoker@caminternational.org

Reflections on a New Year

True to guatemalan form, midnight was ushered in with fireworks and firecrackers! Johnny and I went to the roof of our apartment (fourth floor, open to the sky) to watch the show and I have to say that Panajachel rivals Guatemala City in the fireworks department! But this time, instead of being on a roof overlooking the valley of bombas, we were right in the middle of where they were exploding! It was loud, smoky and totally exciting! Since Panajachel is at the "bottom of the bowl", right on Lake Atitlan with mountains ringing it, we could also see the fireworks of all of the little villages on the sides of the mountains. There was true enthusiasum in "ringing in the New Year"!

As I studied on Revelation this morning during my quiet time, I gained a sense of urgency in sowing the seeds of the Gospel and wondered at my enthusiasum over things of Christ. Do I get more excited over a touchdown in a ballgame or New Year's fireworks than I do over touching someone's life with the truth of Christ? Have I "left my first love", as the church of Ephesus, and lost some of my passion? As I start this new year, this is my prayer and resolution: that I focus on what is important to God and that I do so passionately. And when my time on this earth is finished and I stand in the presence of my Savior, He will say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant".

Maria
jcoker@caminternational.org