Come before Winter in Western Europe 2014

This morning the Come before Winter team is busy making last minute arrangements at home before heading to Austria to prepare for next week's renewal. Most of us are leaving today from various points in Texas...Lubbock, Austin, Abilene, Odessa and the DFW area; however, one will join us from Taiwan and our missionary ambassador from the Peru renewal is beginning her journey from Chile!  We will arrive in Sausburg well after dark Friday night...seven hours ahead of our Texas families!

Fourteen uniquely blessed women are ready to serve the forty six missionaries who will arrive next Monday from nineteen different countries!  Just imagine the preparations they are making today to travel from other parts of Austria, Scotland, Netherlands, Croatia, Poland, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegonia, Russia, Italy, Germany, Albania, Switzerland, Slovenia, Romania, Belgium and Kenya!

You can follow our trek through Exodus on the Come before Winter Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/comebeforewinter

LAST WORK DAY

Today we set the beams and trusses in place and continued with mason work...

Then we worshipped!

SAN LAZARO COFFEE

We picnicked at the coffee farm...

MONDAY ON THE RANCH

Today Wendy, Kyle, Mitch and I headed out with Jared to tour the local workings of Mission Lazarus. We started the day in the warehouse with all of the staff gathered for an hour of Bible study. The group has recently progressed from devos in small groups to the large group in depth study. Bible memorization as well as memorization of every team member's name earns a gift card for a pizza or burger. To be certain each one was ready with background understanding, Jared pulled back to Genesis for the temptation of man before delving into the temptation of Christ. 

We toured the offices...

Next we went by the Refuge to check out the barn, houses and lands. 

The trade school was next with apprentices in royal blue...

To be continued...

SUNDAY

Sunday was a wonderful day of worship and relaxation. We gathered with two of the four congregations that Jose serves in a house in a village...45 minutes by 4wheel dive trucks.  The worship flowed from vibrant song to verses to songs, preaching and communion.  We enjoyed singing a final song for them. I have really enjoyed worshipping, serving and fellowshipping in Spanish!

Lunch at the lodge 

with lots of recuperation for the short term stomach bug passing through the group gave a break before loading back into our five trucks for a long road trip. We gave the kids an afternoon in a secluded swimming hole. 

APPRENTICE MASONS

This morning we awoke early for delightful walks and time to reflect on the beauty of God's handiwork. Dawn comes an hour earlier in this country and yet at the same moment as back home.  While Honduras shares a time zone with Texas, this land does not use Daylight Savings Time.

We enjoyed the breeze  and the views then met back at the dining area for breakfast...pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham, cereal and fresh fruit!

By 7:30 we were loaded into trucks and heading out to the work site with warning to the drivers to keep the trucks in four wheel drive.

Everyone worked from 8:00 to 4:00 hauling bricks, sifting sand, mixing mortar, building forms, mixing concrete, pouring columns, hauling water, building mortar boards & scaffolds & water dippers...

Because a picture is worth a thousand words...

The day ended early with devos around the fireplace!

MORNING AT MISSION LAZARUS

Up with the wind and ready to face the day!

Morning hikes and meditation....

Children's home meeting the day...

Breakfast and instructions...

Ready to roll at 7:30!