After reading Psalm 145 together as a team Satrday morning, we declared it a day of praise and celebration.  As a group, we committed to praise the Lord continually, regardless of our circumstances, and to celebrate all the things we see Him do as a way to firm them up in our memory and share them with others.

In addition to celebrating all the little truths the Lord has taught us and few team successes at our training tasks, we also had a very special event to celebrate today: Lizzie turned 15!!  We surprised her after dinner with a bunch of homemade presents, a cake and a special time of prayer and celebration.

Afterwards, our team felt extremely surprised when the leaders pulled out a second cake an announced an additional birthday to celebrate.  You see, one of our teammates—Holly—made a very important decision on Friday night.  She chose to accept the Lord as her personal Savior!!  You might think it strange that a young girl about to go on a mission trip would find herself in need of salvation, but it happens.  It doesn’t really matter why.  The important and exciting part of the matter is that Holly chose Christ and has begun a brand new life with Him! 

We are so stoked for her and for what God will do in and through her in Guatemala.  In fact, we decided to celebrate Holly’s first spiritual birthday by pulling out a cake for her too and praying over her in the same way we did for Lizzie.

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.  Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.  One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.  Psalm 145:1-3