Guatemala!

I am finally in Guatemala! Yesterday we had a ministry day and we got to do our drama! We also got to play with the children it was amazing! I wish you all could be here with me and it was so much fun. Please pray for me because I am going through some home sickness and also I have a fever and runny nose so please, please, pray for me!

morgan

Never The Same '09

I added a feed to the right sidebar "Never The Same '09" to click to the daily updates from the teams in Guatemala. Click the links on the right to go to the blog that has the pictures and updates.

Bluelady's Dad.

Hello from beautiful Guatemala!

Dear Parents,
Hello from beautiful Guatemala! Yesterday was our first ministry day with teams spreading out all over the outer Guatemala City area presenting the drama, doing work projects and sharing the gospel of Christ. Some went to orphanages and did work projects (painting, gardening, organizing their food pantries), some went to schools that had recently been closed due to flooding (lots of rain the last couple of weeks we're told) and helped clean them up so students can go back to school on Monday, others went to the beautiful Lake Attitlan area an ministered there.

If you haven't received an email from your teen yet it's because they are busy and having a blast. We do have a business center set up for them with about 20 computers so they can email home so you should be hearing from them when they have the time to do that.

We want you to know that we'll be posting daily updates with photos, video and blog updates of our ministry experience beginning later today so you can join us in our adventure here in Guatemala. You can find these updates at: www.neverthesame09.blogspot.com. Please note this is a different web address than we originally gave you for our updates.

You'll quickly see how beautiful Guatemala is, particularly the area of Antigua where our hotel is. The scenery is spectacular, the hotel staff fabulous and the food wonderful. Your teenagers are wonderful!

God has been moving among our group starting day 1. Personal revival and renewals are happening daily as your teens are being loved, encouraged and spiritually challenged by our evening FUAGNEM messages and concerts. Your prayers are being answered for your teen to have a life-changing encounter with God during their two weeks with us.

Thank you for your continued prayer support. Please pray for continued out-pouring of the Spirit of God on our leaders, medical and counseling staff and your students.

Many blessings from Guatemala!

Kathy Gowler
Never The Same '09! Missions Coordinator

Miami

Hi Everyone,

Today I am in Miami, tomorrow Guatemala! It really is cool being on this mission trip. I have five other roomates theire names are: Heather, Jessie, Shosh, and Ray.

In the drama I am a toy which is a Photographer. My costume I have to wear suspenders, white pants and a button up T-shirt, I look kind of funny in it but at least I don't have to wear clown makeup!

I am leaving at 7 pm tonight (miami time) so pray for me!

Morgan

Guatemala Clock

Guatemala Clock

One Week!

Hi Everyone,

I want to thank everyone again for your support throughout this entire year. I have only one more week till I leave for Miami to train. Please pray for the following:

• I will have energy
• I will not get sick
• safe travel to Miami
• safe travel to Guatemala
• safe travel back
• I will be able to share the gospel and show God's love to the Guatemalans
  

Guatemala Is Just Around the Corner

My excitement is mounting when I think that in about thirty-two days I will be in Miami with my traveling buddy, Kayla. Already we are planning on a day to shop for our costume descriptions.

A couple days ago I got my Guatemala Mission shirt in the mail, it is bright yellow, and neon green so I will defiantly stick out in the crowd. Anyway please continue to pray for my mission trip and specifically pray that I will not freeze when giving my personal testimony. Thanks again for all your support without you guys I would not be were I am now!

- Morgan

May is almost here!

In May I'll be getting the last of my details!! My shirt will come in and my costume details from World Ventures. This is an exciting month of planning for my mission trip. Keep me in your prayers.

Flight Plans Finished!

Hi Everyone,

On Friday I sent in my flight plans so I am completely finished with that part. Now I am sending in my passport Copy and a picture of myself. Also I have to sign some papers that gives Focus on the Family the right to send me home if I misbehave and also a photo release. I have also sent in my information of my the child I sponsor and maybe I'll be able to visit her. PLEASE KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS!

Morgan

Meet Kayla, my traveling buddy!!!!

On Saturday my travel companion, Kayla, came over and had dinner with my family. What is really funny is that both our sisters are a lot alike: competitive, love ice cream, love singing, etc. Kayla and I are also very similar other then the fact that we both are traveling on the same mission trip, ha, ha! Actually we both love to read and are coveting the same amazon kindle. Also our favorite colors are blue and we both like photography. We finally also booked our flight plans and since Kayla got the window seat both ways we would switch every now and then but if worse comes to worse I can use my Taekwondo skills (just joking!!) My last leg of preparing for the mission trip is sending a copy of my passport, a picture of myself and my flight plans and I have to send this all in before April 1st. Please keep praying for me!!!!!!

-Morgan

Soooooooooooooooo Excited!!!!!!!!

I want to tell you about my travel companion. In the beginning of February I got my first newsletter from Focus on the Family and they suggested on having a traveling companion. Well I liked the idea because I hated the idea of having to travel alone and my dad was freaking me out with stories of kidnapping and so forth. At least traveling with another teenager would be more fun and the boring hours on the plane would be less boring. So I decided to email a girl that lived about an hour away and that night I got an email back that she would love to travel with me, I was thrilled. Her name is Kayla!!!!! This week, March 7th, we are going to sit down and plan our plane ticket to Miami and back, I call it the next phase of our planning and so I am Soooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Morgan

Flight Plans

This next Saturday (March 7th) I will be booking my flight plans with my friend Kayla. I am so excited to be able to book a flight to Miami and back. Wish me luck!!!!!
-Morgan

GREAT NEWS

I am finished with fund raising, YES! Thank you for all your support. I am now offically into stage three: praying, collecting toys, and book my flight plans. Please keep praying for me as I collect toys and get ready for my mission trip.
THANK YOU MOM AND DAD FOR YOUR WONDERFUL ADVICE AND TO MY SIBLINGS WHO HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY. ALSO THANK YOU MRS. KIRBY FOR OPENING YOUR HOUSE FOR MY FUNDRAISER.

More Gingerbread House Pictures

I like the Christmas Trees

The decorators are showing off their wonderful work.

This is another family who have sent in their pictures to show everyone their version of a decorated gingerbread house. If you decorated a gingerbread house and took pictures I would love to see them.

Better Late Than Never!

I like the graham cracker house next to the gingerbread house.

A little village!

I did not even think about using two candy canes to create a heart. Very original!!!!!

A family in my church bought two gingerbread houses and decorated them and gave me a copy of the pictures. If you have a gingerbread house decorated fill free to email them to me.

Guatemala Facts

Guatemala V.S United States Capital	Guatemala City	Washington, D.C.
Population	13,002,206 (July 2008 estimate)	303,824,640 (July 2008 estimate)
Languages	Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna and Xinca)	English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)
Religions	Christian (Roman Catholic, Protestant), indigenous Mayan beliefs	Christian 78.5% (Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, other Christian 2.3%), Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
Literacy rate Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write.	Male: 75.4% Female: 63.3% (2002 estimate)	Male: 99% Female: 99% (2003 estimate)
Percentage of population using improved drinking water sources	Urban: 99% Rural: 92% (2004 estimate)	Urban: 100% Rural: 100% (2004 estimate)
Percentage of population using adequate sanitation facilities	Urban: 90% Rural: 82% (2004 estimate)	Urban: 100% Rural: 100% (2004 estimate)
Climate	Tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands	Mostly temperate but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are warmed occasionally in January and February by chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Percentage of population urbanized	48% (2006 estimate)	81% (2006 estimate)
Life expectancy	Male: 68.22 years Female: 71.86 years (2008 estimate)	Male: 75.29 years Female: 81.13 years (2008 estimate)
Under-5 mortality rate	41/1,000 (2006 estimate)	8/1,000 (2006 estimate)
GDP per capita	$5,100 (2007 estimate)	$45,800 (2007 estimate)
Monetary unit	quetzal (GTQ), U.S. dollar (USD), others allowed	U.S. dollar (USD)
Number of people living with HIV/AIDS	78,000 (2003 estimate)	950,000 (2003 estimate)
Percentage of population living below $1 a day	14% (1995-2005 study)	Data not available

Sources for facts: The World Factbook, 2008; The State of the World's Children, 2008

More Info. About Mission Trip

This were I will be staying Guatemala.







On briomissions.com they posted pictures of were I will be staying in Guatemala. It is a beautiful place in Antigua, Guatemala and the resort is called The Guatemala Resort.

I Am Almost There!!!!!!!

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday I sat down and made sure that I was paid for all the gingerbread houses and that I had dropped-off all the gingerbread houses when I noticed that I was a lot closer to my goal than I thought I was. After confirming with my mother, the math-whiz, I learned that I had only $112 to go before I reach my goal. Thanks to all of you I was able to get my payments in on time and some of them before time. I am now working on my April payment and hopefully I will have that done before April 1st. Thanks again for all your prayers and donations.

Sincerely,

Morgan

Gingerbread House Ideas

Here is a few ideas on decorating your gingerbread house.

Sponsor Letters

Shortly after starting my gingerbread house fund raiser, my dad and I sat together and composed a sponsor letter. Using the Brio's idea of a sponsor letter and my friend, Mrs. Kirby's idea of a sponsor letter, I created my own. A few cartridges later I had completed and mailed out all my sponsor letters and was praying that I might get a few responses. God showed how he provides when four people answered my letter on the same day. Thanks to the sponsors that helped me, I have been able to pay off my December payment and January's payment as well. Thank you to all my sponsors out there!