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The last week of November, a co-op group of churches led by Pastor Teddie from Friendship Baptist in Grand Bay, Al. came and installed styrofoam drop ceilings into 4 project family’s homes. For the first time ever these families have been warm during the cold season. Pastor Teddie returns in January with another co-op group and will be installing more ceilings. We have a waiting list to take part in this new blessing. Each family will pay half the cost over a period of 20 weeks. When they participate in the cost, they realize the great benefit of being able to help their family.

Victory Community Church in Largo, Fl. sent extra money for the fiesta this year. We are so grateful for the hearts of Sal and LaVera and their congregation.

Five women from Covenant Community COG in Fort Meyers, Fl came bearing gifts and helped during our project and community fiestas for Christmas. They spent one day and helped all the children (2-15) and adults build and decorate their own houses of graham crackers, frosting, marshmallows, M&M’s, and other candies. They all loved the craft, especially because it was edible---a double blessing!

The teachers and older children were busy for 2 weeks preparing decorations for the great room where the fiestas took place. They practiced two plays and songs for the parties.

All the women in the project worked together to prepare pepperoni pizza for the 135 family members of the project. Laura Mondell and her team worked several days wrapping the individual gifts they had purchased for all 135. The next day several women and girls had their fleece robes or flannel night gowns under their typical clothes. That same team prepared a holiday chicken recipe with typical rice for 265 from the village. Each work area was bustling! The women outside the pila area preparing the rice and pre-cooking the chicken over wood fires with huge pots. In the pila area (just outside the kitchen) and inside the kitchen the women peeled, diced, cooked, and liquified vegetables for the sauce. I wish all of you could be here to hear the women working and "giggling"! Our team made chocolate chip cookies and brownies for both days in the tiny kitchen upstairs. They also helped wherever needed.

Lazaro and Glendy have been such a blessing to us. We love their pastor’s hearts for the people. They learned lots during Deidre’s (Pastor Teddie’s daughter) three week visit last June. Deidre brought lots of excellent teaching material and spent her time teaching Lazaro and Glendy new ideas to improve the school. She also spent time with all the teacher aides. During the months we were in the States raising support for 2005, the entire teacher staff met, learned, and practiced these new ideas.

January 2005, we begin a co-operative private Christian School with an existing Christian School in Chimaltenango. This school has been credentialed for 50 years and will send teachers from their school to Panimaquin. We will start with 17 students from 6^th through 9^th grades. The students will be part of the project during the day as helpers, but will also receive instruction for their individual grades during the week. The scholarships for the first 15 students have been provided by Covenant Community COG. We still need 2 more scholarships. The initial cost for books and inscription for these extra two students is Q1000 or $ 130.55. In addition, Q184 or $24.03 monthly for 10 months Jan-Oct 2005. The scholarships are the only cost to us, the teachers will be paid by Latina American Evangelical Institute. This is very exciting!

On Sunday the 26^th, our daughter Lisa, her husband Greg and their two children Nicholas and Faith will be coming for an 8 day visit. They will be doing a craft and participating in the birthday party for Nov, Dec, and Jan for the project. We will also celebrate their anniversary and Faith’s second birthday while they are here. I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have part of our family here for Christmas. It is the first "Christmas Week" in 12 years that we have had part of our family from the States with us.

Have a wonderful Christmas day and may 2005 be filled with blessings from the Lord.

Guatemalan Mission Outreach Inc. (G.M.O)

Revised: 01/27/2008