Most of you have been keeping up with our journey from Guatemala back to the States both by our driving to the States as well as our transition in ministries. First off, we would like to thank you all for your prayers, additional support and encouragement during this time. Thankfully our drive from Guatemala to Louisiana was a wonderfully, stressful, beautiful, boring, adventurous and scenic trip; we encountered friendly and helpful police and military agents with only questions about gringo's driving a Guatemalan car back to the United States. Most agents, after we began speaking Spanish, wished us well on our journey with a smile and a wave. During our many miles, 2087 to be exact (minus Sarah's route), we found ourselves on great toll roads, wide open gas stations with areas for our dogs to mark their territories, and familiar places to get lunch (when lunch meat sandwiches got old). We could not have asked for a better road trip and thank you all for your prayers each day, we definitely felt them and God's guidance every mile of the way.

The button below is a link to a youtube video of a song that God put on my heart the entire drive from the Western border of Guatemala with Mexico to Sarah's parents driveway. The lyrics kept resonating over and over in my mind with every mile we passed, with every feeling of anxiety, with every strange sound from the car; the chorus states, "My God is bigger, better, stronger, greater than you" and that is what we must still cling to as we negotiate so many new situations. Our God is bigger, better, stronger, greater than all the detours and roadblocks we find in the path God has set us on. We are so thankful for all your prayers and ask that you continue to pray for us as we navigate this new journey of learning how to live in the United States again. Recently we have found ourselves feeling like we did when we moved to Guatemala; lost, confused, in familiar yet not familiar settings and learning the culture...all in a place we have lived before. We truly could not have done what we did in Guatemala without you or your prayers and so we ask that you continue to pray for us as we transition and that we give ourselves grace during this process. Thank you and Peace of Christ to You. 

Hurricanes…
Service projects…
Packing…
Teaching and tutoring…
It’s been a lot the past few weeks! 
Things are getting real around here. We are down to 3 non-matching plates. We each have one that we wash at each meal.  We are feeling very overwhelmed as we see new challenges with the move, sometimes daily as we continue our routines with school, tutoring, and ministry. 

We continue to covet your prayers as we strive to finish well in Guatemala with our friends and ministries; especially as we navigate so many emotions. We would also like to encourage you to pray about year-end giving, we have many expenses moving back to the States, some expected some unexpected. While we trust God to work out the details we also want to provide an opportunity to serve through financial giving. 
A few specific prayer requests 

• Final end date for ministry at the shelter
• Safety thru Mexico and ease as we cross borders
• Paperwork to take our two chihuahuas with us across borders
• Finances to ship half of our belongings (the quote we have received is $9000)
• Praise - the other half of our belongings are selling quickly
• Solid job offers from the Calcasieu Parish School Board
• We need to sell our Jeep here in Xela and purchase a second vehicle (a small truck)  in Louisiana.

Peace of Christ to You,
Gerald for all

​Thank you to those of you who responded to our most recent newsletter with financial gifts, prayers and words of encouragement.  We have felt your prayers and we are encouraged!

Shelter
Despite these trying times we were able to deliver gifts, food and a short Christmas message at the shelter in December.  We were only allowed to drop off the gifts and food.  Sarah was the only one permitted into the dining hall to speak with the girls.  It was a bitter sweet time.  It was wonderful to see so many eager faces but sad that it was so short and limited.  We were extremely happy to be able to share this time with Maddy who was in Guatemala for a mere 10 days over her break. 
We are also coordinating with the Community Service group at school to provide some basic needs at the shelter before the end of May.  They are once again in need of basic toiletries, under clothes and socks. If you, your small group, your youth group, or your church are interested in helping us meet this need please let us know!​

Wow!  This year has been all over the place.  

We started the year teaching online school with Inter American School of Xela.  All four of us were in different rooms connected to our computers all day long.  It was intense.

Ministry has looked different. But God has been faithful to us. We have all stayed healthy. We have all learned to thrive during this time and God used this time to refocus us as a family.

In May we watched Maddy graduate in an immediate family only, outdoors ceremony.  It was memorable!  We are so thankful this was able to take place at the last minute since there was no closure for the Seniors of 2020 due to country wide shutdowns.  Maddy has since moved to the states and is working, taking exams for scholarships and getting settled into life in her old/new  culture.  The transition has had its bumps and setbacks but she has handled things extremely well and we are so proud of her.  She is looking forward to attending McNeese State University in the fall of 2022.

Jerry continues to teach High School Bible Classes as well as Senior College Prep classes at IAS.  He has been part of beginning a Men’s Discipleship group for teachers. Guatemala is still under many restrictions and many churches continue to not hold in person services. This discipleship group is an answer to prayer for many and for Jerry and Trevor (Secondary principal) as they have prayed for the past year for a way to reach these young teachers with the love of Jesus and encourage them in their walks with the Lord.

Sarah and Coleman have stepped back to return to homeschool for his last two and half years of schooling.  This has been a huge blessing and we have seen Coleman grow and succeed academically with this change.  It has also allowed Sarah to serve in the area of hospitality. From preparing a meal for a family from the school who had all contracted Covid at the same time leaving the teenagers alone in the house while the parents were both hospitalized to hosting dinner and game nights to provide a taste of home for single teachers; she has enjoyed being able to minister in this natural way.  We are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving and hosting a couple of guy teachers in our home.

Ministry has been much more one on one and personal this past year.  We have been able to encourage and bless a few of the girls who lived at the shelter in the past.  With Covid in this country came great economic hardship.  A few families reached out to us for prayer and help.  We were able to pray with each one and pay rent for some, provide several with groceries, as well as take care of other needs.  We have continued to keep in touch with the shelter.  We have not been allowed to enter the building so we continue to take bread every Sunday morning as well as provide fruit and eggs for them a couple times each month.  We have also provided underwear and socks for all those living there.  The support they receive from other ministries has dwindled and we have been asked to help more.  We have done so by the grace of God and by you all giving. We will again be providing Christmas presents and a Christmas meal for all those at the shelter.

Please pray about helping financially with this need.  We have a great beginning from a generous gift from Woodlawn Baptist church’s VBS but we lack enough to provide for everyone as well as Christmas dinner. ​

 If you would like to give you may, as always
1 - send your tax-deductible gift to
World Outreach
PO Box B
Marietta, GA 30061
Memo: Gerald and Sarah Lastrapes #407

  or
2 - you may send a check directly to
    Gerald Lastrapes
    8049 Old Hecker Road  Iowa, LA 70647
and it will be deposited directly into our account for us to access.

Please pray…
     for the children and youth of Guatemala who have not been able to attend school for the past 2 years and          have had little to no education during that time.

     for those who are still struggling financially and have lost jobs due to Covid.

     for our discernment and compassion as we continue to serve where we see needs.

     for people like you to continue and begin to partner with us in prayer and finances.

We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas!
Peace of Christ to You,
the Lastrapes

Ministry equally looks extremely different during this time. All non-essential personnel have been prohibited from visiting homes such as the shelter and the prisons.  The shelter has continued to receive girls from all over the country which puts them all at a high risk for contracting the virus. There has been zero public transportation since all this began in March. As a result the Nannies at the Shelter have been working a full week shift instead of 24 hr shifts to cut down on contamination. They also made this change to limit having to rely on someone to bring them out to or pick them up from the shelter. There are many needs during this time so we have been able to help in different capacities. We have been providing boxes of fruit and eggs for the shelter every other week. We are also sending Bible Studies that we have written along with crafts, activity pages and supplies. A couple of the Nannies have been filling in reading the lessons to the girls and kids. With some of the restrictions being lifted, like weekend shutdowns, Jerry was able to resume the bread delivery this Sunday also. 
​
We have had a few girls reach out to us who have left the shelter years ago.  Some have lost family members to Covid and are seeking encouragement and a friendly voice. It has been a blessing to reconnect with some who we thought we may never hear from again and continue to share the love of Jesus with them. Most recently we received a Facebook Message from a girl who we met our first year at the shelter. She is now 14 and 8 months pregnant. She is now taking care of her mother who recently had surgery and her 10 yr old brother. While she has older siblings, they are married and have their own families of which to tend. 
She contacted us initially to be in contact but as the conversation progressed she told us of her mom’s recent surgery and that they had no way of getting food or working. We are in contact with people in Guatemala City who could help her but in the mean time, they needed food. We prayed and each had the same amount of money we thought would be sufficient in our minds. Yesterday Jerry went out and made the deposit into her account and shortly afterwards she sent Sarah pictures of what all she bought. While we contemplated asking for pictures, we decided not to ask. She willingly sent those pictures to us and greatly thanked us. She was so appreciative and thankful. It is times like these that we are most appreciative of your support. To be able to help this family with whom we invested years ago, we are still able to invest. We thank you for your commitment to us and the lives of people God has called us to, especially for such a time as this.