They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
it's leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:8 (NIV)
The Rio Sauce
Zieroff Ministry Team from Michigan
July 29 2019: Today starts the whirlwind tour with 12 from Michigan! Zieroff Ministry is an inspiring, fully-charged group with the youngest, Logan, 7 years old! Yesterday, I had the challenge at the airport check-in, of hurriedly stuffing 50 more pounds into three already stuffed suitcases. Today we’ll be adding 12 more suitcases, plus 16 or more backpacks, into a van and a car which is already crammed with supplies for the week! Abundance has its own test of faith.
Prayer Circle in Bruno's parking lot Rio Dulce
The joy of serving others is ahead. Your comfort level will be tested to stand against many situations that have the element of surprise, which becomes the joy in the journey as you grow and take victory in your own life and in the life of others. I believe this is the essence of missions. Competition has no place of honor. Humility is what wins, and stands exalted in the end, for this is where the glory God shines.
Missionary Beautiful Leslie
Your energy and physical strength will be pushed, your emotions will waver, your heart will be touched. Sweet surrender to rely on God is what will soar you higher.
Missionary John, Patrick, Brady, and Bella
Rio Bonito outreach! Traveling down the Rio Dulce towards Livingston, we stop over at Boatique to drop some supplies for our missionary friends Pamela and Sheldon Redpath. It’s always great to see friends and to be of service. Boatique is a tucked-away gem in the monkey preserve of the Rio Dulce and home to 3:1 connect.
Mauricio of Jerry's Jungle Tours, travel like a local
The day is hot and the sky overcast, giving us shelter from the oppressive heat only for a moment. Turning off the river through the reed-covered entrance of Rio Bonito, we motor slowly to avoid the hidden tree stumps. The river is high due to much rain. Following the tributary deeper into the mountainous region, we tie up on a river bank.
Missionary Daneille and Leslie
The path ahead is a trail through the cow field, leading you over a few logs to cross a tiny creek, then to a set of steps which take you over the barbed-wire fence. Around the corner, up the hill, and down suddenly, we come upon a soccer field filled with the village children. John, with a soccer ball in hand, and the rest of the team with bubbles and a Frisbee, had an instant connect!
Missionary Laurie, and Amanada after a game of soccer with the local youth
After an afternoon of running in the hot sun, we prayed for the children and shared God’s wisdom and love. Then we moved on to “lily pad” shopping where the locals come and share their wares. It’s a local floating market of handmade jewelry, carvings, and beautiful local crafts. Next stop is exploring the caves at the sulfur springs which pour beneath the surface along the shores of the Rio Dulce.
The team at the hill top of Camp Rio Dulce
We wrap up the day exploring the grounds of Camp Rio Dulce, which serves over 300 children of the region, sharing the love of Christ with them every January. It is a combined ministry of Titus Ministry and Camp Copass, both from the heart of Texas. There are so many people working together to advance the Kingdom of God.
Missionary Amanda, Daneille, and Mark on Lake Izabal
If you don’t pay attention, one day turns into the next when activity is fast-paced. It is a whirlwind of events. We are continuing our retaining wall to hold the lake back from eroding the property. Two more loads of rocks are close to being gone, all carried by hand to be placed in the wire baskets making a barrier.
Yard sale in La Ensenada
Some where in here we squeeze in a yard sale! This is how we bless our village in a healthy way.
God's promise of protect for the children
Carter a young prophetic missionary paints with a heart of love and leaves behind his mark !
Daneille Zieroff bringing wisdom with joy!
A staff meeting was held to encourage and bring new ideas to the table. When we bring our personal experiences to others, we are all able to learn and bring forth the best for these children, who are the next generation of future leaders. It’s up to all of us to bring our wisdom and talent to the table and share our experience, strength and hope to make the world a better place for all.
Good stewardship of the earth in La Ensenada
Pouring into the children of the village is a priority of Blue Water Surrender. Our great team this week met with the children after school with song, games and Bible teaching to inspire them to love God and to be good stewards of the earth. Our action is our faith as hundreds of children joined by parents went out for a community cleanup. Now we have many trips to the landfill to discard multiple bags filled with debris, as we have no trash truck service in our village. For the most part, trash is burned or simply tossed aside.
Cascada de Agua Caliente , Izabal Guatemala
Visiting the hot waterfalls just a couple miles up the way is the perfect way to end a hot and sweaty day with a surprise baptism!
Brady and one of our angels
Next lets light the camp fire on the shores of Lake Izabal and share the first s’mores with the children of Casa Agua Azul!
I love our children !
It's August 3rd, and our team went to Poptun, which is a town in the Peten, to Casa Hogar Ihicam. This is where we actually met Danielle of Zieroff Ministry for the first time years ago. Thinking I would l have some rest today was a good thought. However, the morning was spent with our carpenter going over interesting details for the director’s house. Where to place pipes, sinks, toilets and the drain field requires some thought! Finally, my relief was the furniture, what we are able to build with our collection of wood that will be fun and functional. Guatemala has the most beautiful hardwoods to work with. What I have really been waiting for is to pray over the house since I arrived this trip. I gathered our director and my coworkers on the second floor, and we pounded heaven’s door, interceding for the children. Prayer is powerful: it opens and closes doors and will change your life. Whatever is rooted in honest prayer, you can be certain will grow and produce good fruit. God’s word does not come back void. We still have the trash from the village cleanup to deal with. It will take 3 trips to town. We decided to have a pizza party with the kids on our second trip of trash. We loaded all 18 of us and headed back to town. It was great fun and our first family outing! The third trip is for another day.
Fun in nature at Seacacar
Our last day is here with mixed feelings. The morning is spent in El Estor at the open air market place to shop for souvenirs . The colors are vibrant and the vegetables are abundant while people mill about their everyday lives. To us, it is exciting as life is so different here. It is refreshing and kind. Relationship is highly valued, and living in the moment allows for the unexpected to break into your day, giving surprise and wonder as you see God’s hand at work. These unplanned, unexpected moments become your greatest treasures. Continuing on to explore the nature preserve of Seacacar, the team is challenged with the heat of the day and the steep climb to the top. Rest with lunch overlooks the river canyon some 800 feet below, which we will soon be floating though. The trail hike of two hours and one coral snake was a delight.
Canyon view of Rio Sauce
Now it’s time to tube down the river and relax, looking up to the trail you just conquered! The water is cool and drifts us as we wind around rock cliff walls covered by green vegetation with butterflies fluttering about. Forty-five minutes later, we are back to our van, and it’s time to load up to end the day at Casa Agua Azul, celebrating two birthdays!
Roof top camping Guatemala City at Faithful Steps Mission House
Morning comes early, and the drive to Guatemala City is ahead. Our prayer for clear roads was heard for the team arriving 6 1/2 hours later to the mission house of Faithful Steps for the night. Sleeping under the city stars on the rooftop is a great way to end a trip, with time to share stories, filling the air with laughter and fun. Our plans for breakfast and a relaxing time in the morning has been altered due to a protest in the city which will be shutting down many of the main roads. Now it’s a 4:00 a.m. trip to the airport. Flexibility is a must; as tired as you may be, you just have to do what needs to be done! This is the heart of missions, placing others first. We have eternity to rest!
Missionary Tabitha
Thank you to all, as we expand the Kingdom of God, one heart at a time. May God bless all the children in the world and may your hands be those that bring the blessing.
Gail Gordon
Director Blue Water Surrender