Bryan Ratanasin

New Guatemala Videos

2010-07-16T11:42:00.003-07:00

Alright, sorry that it has taken awhile but here are some new videos from our Guatemala mission trip:

1) Solomon's Porch - this is where we spent a lot of time eating our meals. One night we had a dance party while singing lots of songs.

2) Ziplining - here we spent 1 morning going through a zipline. It was AMAZING as we did 8 different ziplines that went over a National Forest.

3) Cribs - our very own Sam Crawford is here to show everyone where exactly we stayed and some of our transportations.

4) Photos - here we have several photos that we took throughout the trip. Enjoy!

WE ARE HOME!!!

2010-06-30T15:53:00.004-07:00

We just got home last night and all are exhausted!! It was overall a GREAT trip and I know it was a life changing experience for all. I am so proud of each and everyone of our kids and know that they are different now then they were before.

More videos are still to come of our last few days so stay tuned. It will include an orphanage we visited, our zip lining experience, our cribs video, and just some other random highlights.

I also just want to thank everyone who was praying for us throughout this trip. We couldn't have done it without you. Know that lives were changed this past week and that this impact will continue to further His kingdom. THANK YOU!!

Guatemala - Day 6

2010-06-27T05:56:00.003-07:00

Sorry that we haven't posted for the last 48 hours. Here are 2 new posts: day 5 & 6.

Today was yet another incredible day. We went to a village called San Antonio, the place that was devastated by the tropical storm approximately 3 weeks ago. They are an extremely poor village and about 70 people died that day as well as many homes that were completely destroyed.

I was yet again so proud of our kids. Our initial goal was to deliver humanitarian aid but as we got there the majority of our kids took the initiative to actually visit some of their homes and actually pray for the people.

Below is the video of us at San Antonio and us as we travel by boat to get there:

Guatemala - Day 5

2010-06-25T23:05:00.006-07:00

Prior to today we had no idea what to expect. We called this day 'Ask the Lord' day. This is where each of our kids spent about 45 minutes in their devotional time 'asking the Lord' what they feel like they should do for that day! We then reconvened and trying doing all of those things within that day. We had things like praying for the sick at hospitals, giving out food to the homeless, cleaning and rebuilding homes from people we have met previously, handing out Spanish Bibles to those who need it, and playing music and soccer at a park to attract as many people as possible to share the Gospel.

This was such a neat time because it was our kids who felt led on what our agenda should be. This was by far one of the most incredible days! When we debriefed it was amazing to hear how personal this day was to everyone. They didn't determine what they should do by where their friends are. They didn't determine what they should do by what seems the most fun. They ONLY did what they felt the Lord was telling them to do.

Due to our kids being all over Panajachel we were unable to get any videos but here are a few pics:

Guatemala - Day 4

2010-06-25T06:04:00.004-07:00

This is the day that all of our kids had the most fear and the most anxiety preparing for. The day AIM told us that we were going to go Prayer Walk & Evangelize to a poor community the majority of our kids had so many questions and hesitations. Though this is was the most feared day it ended up being one of the most incredible days. Our kids did an INCREDIBLE job!! As they walked the streets of the village I've never seen so many young people immediately start praying for individuals courageously and w/o hesitation. Lives were changed today because of our kids.

At the end of the night we asked how many of our students was it their 1st time praying for an individual out loud outside of a church setting and about 20+ of our kids raised their hands. Our kids are growing in many ways.

I'm so proud of each and everyone of them. One of the main things that the Guatemalan people are saying is that White Missionaries in this area typically have a bad name for themselves but many are saying that we are helping turn that mentality around by how much love we show to not only others but to each other.

In this video you'll see a glimpse of us Prayer Walking & Evangelizing. We had the opportunity to also have the mayor of this village announce to everyone that we are coming and you'll see how excited all the kids got. Hope you enjoy!

Guatemala - Day 3

2010-06-24T16:15:00.002-07:00

Here we are at Casa de Sion again! It was great seeing everyone for the 2nd day in a row. We got to help finish digging the garden so they can start planting vegetables in order to be sustainable. We also gave them $800.00 to buy chickens so that they can have protein.

In this video you will see how we performed a skit for kids about the story of David becoming king and how God doesn't look at the outward appearance but at the heart. We got to make them crowns to make them feel like they are princes and princesses in the eyes of the Lord. We also had the opportunity to share the gospel to these kids using salvation bracelets. Hope you enjoy!

Guatemala - Day 2

2010-06-23T06:07:00.002-07:00

Today was a great 1st day! It is hard to show everything we did today due to how much we did but I hope this gives you a glimpse. Each day we begin with a personal Quiet Time, some corporate worship and a message from some of our leaders. It has been great just helping get our focus on the right track and to help us understand how we can be effective, especially how it pertains to the cultural differences, both in our language barrier but also just being white, upper-middle class people. Below is a glimpse:

I want everyone to know that every single person on the trip did an incredible job!!! They not only worked hard w/o complaining but was also very intentional with every single person there. It is so amazing to see the body of Christ all working together for a common purpose without any distractions.

Some other things that we've been working on is 'Asking the Lord'. We understand that living such a busy lifestyle where TIME is of the utmost important that so many times we can't find time to LISTEN to the Lord. We have been trying to understand what it looks like to live a life of solitude and how to wait patiently on the Lord. Some amazing things have happened tonight as we practiced on doing so. The Lord speaks in powerful ways and tonight the majority of our kids got to experience that. it was truly amazing.

Today was also one of our participant's, Cami Lowery, birthday! We were able to get a birthday cake along with a authentic handmade Guatemalan bag. We also were able to get a live band to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her. We didn't have any video cameras so we apologize that we didn't video it.

Well, time is very short so I apologize for my lack of thoroughness in my description of each day and in my grammatical errors. Know that God is moving in powerful ways in each of our kids and please continue to pray that He will continue to mold them in His image.

2010-06-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

We made it safe and sound to Guatemala yesterday. It was a long day of traveling but well worth it! Once we arrived in Panajachel, we settled into our quaint little hotel and then went to dinner. We enjoyed an authentic Guatemalan meal with live entertainment. View our video below to see the details!

Today, we are headed to Casa De Sion to help out with a medical clinic for pregnant women. We will be playing with their other children and helping out in any way possible. We're so excited to see the Lord work this week. Continue to keep us in your prayers!

Denver K-Life Summer 2010 Mission Trip!

2010-06-16T17:06:00.003-07:00

Here we are, one year after our first mission trip, and we are getting ready to do it all over again! This time is a little different because we have doubled in the amount of students and leaders who are going with us. We are headed back to the beautiful country of Guatemala! We will fly into Guatemala City, and drive to Panajachel where we'll spend most of our time. We hear it's one of the most beautiful locations in the world. It's a small village located on the edge of Lake Atitlan.

We'll be keeping you all posted on our daily service projects and the lessons that God will be teaching us as we serve those less fortunate than us. Pray for our health, safety, and for the amazing people that we'll be coming in contact with.

Camp Kivu

2009-08-17T16:56:00.003-07:00

Camp Kivu, formerly known as Kanakuk Colorado, is doing some amazing new things to influence kids & college students for the Kingdom of God. Check out this promo vid that Joe Miller, one of our Denver K-Life kids, created. This camp is going to be amazing!

Rap Vid

2009-08-14T08:16:00.004-07:00

This video is awesome!!

Back from Guatemala!!

2009-07-15T08:57:00.009-07:00

Wow, how I already miss being in Guatemala!

Below is part of a letter that one of our leaders, who went on our mission trip, sent to all of his supporters. This explains well to what we all learned from this trip:

"John 14:18 says "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." and Galatians 4:4-7 says "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

What hit me in particular was after reading these passages Tuesday night, then going back to Remar on Wednesday morning and having these kids remember us and really start to visibly respond and open up to our efforts to love them... we had to leave them. That was it... we were off to lunch and another orphanage and they were left to the reality of things before we had arrived the day before. As we sat on the bus, recapped the experience as a group, and prayed for those kids... my heart was broken and I cried as I experienced what must be a small degree of the pain that our Heavenly Father feels when he looks into this world that He created, and sees the pain in the faces of those who are lost... those who are orphans now and potentially for eternity.

As I spent time with a young boy named Oscar and felt incredibly inadequate in my inability to communicate with him... all I could do was tell him in Spanish that God loves him, and that I love him. Although he shook his head in agreement, I could see in his eyes that he wanted so much more. I have to imagine that more than anything in this world, the kids at Remar desire a relationship with someone they can call mom or dad. And because of the fact that Guatemala is currently closed for adoption and the likelihood of those kids ever being adopted is very low... I struggled with the reality of those kids situation and the lack of hope they must feel. Those kids live in a world filled with rules but no relationships. And in a way, we all live like orphans sometimes when we live our lives as if we had to follow rules in order to be accepted by our Heavenly Father, rather than recognizing that we have already beeen adopted as sons and daughters by God. We already have an eternal inheritance that will vastly exceed all of our expectations and as a result, we live our lives in obedience out of gratitude to God for having rescued us from our status as orphans.

When I was in college, I went through a tape series and booklet called the Sonship Program with some guys from my church. The program focused on this concept of our adoption as sons and daughters of God... but that concept has become more of a reality for me as a result of this trip. I hope and pray that God will continue to reveal to me His purpose for leading me on this trip and I also hope that you may be encouraged by this brief glimpse into my experience. Finally, I hope that this will be the beginning of a new theme in my life and that I will have the opportunity to participate in similar trips in the future. Again, thank you so much for your faithfulness and your friendship. Please feel free to call or email me with any questions or to hear more about the trip!"

- Jon Rankin

Guatemala - Day 6

2009-07-12T19:50:00.003-07:00

These last few days have been incredible. We finished the morning at Manchen and then that afternoon we went shopping in the markets. Man was that an experience. What would we have done w/o our translators?!

That night Buckner took us to a fancy restaurant which overlooked the city of Guatemala. We had our final dinner where we shared our appreciation for our translators and shared how this experience has shaped our lives. I know and can truly say that this last week has been a life changing experience. It is obvious to see how all of our kids are different than before. They all did an incredible job and exceeded all expectations. I am so proud of them!!

Guatemala - Day 5

2009-07-11T00:08:00.011-07:00

The video below is from last Thursday when we visited the all girls home at Manchen in Antigua.

We have been having problems posting videos so I apologize for posting these so late. We should have another posting showing video from last Friday so stay tuned.

Guatemala - Day 5

2009-07-09T23:11:00.003-07:00

Today we visited an orphanage in a beautiful city called Antigua. It use to be the old capital of Guatemala until an earthquake happened in the late 1700's. They even still had many buildings and churches still standing from the 1700's.

Well, the orphanage we went to today was called Manchen. They had approximately 120 girls with ages ranging from 12 - 18. It was so heartbreaking to see and hear individual stories. We saw a 12 year old girl who was pregnant. We just met a teenage girl who just arrived at this orphanage this past Monday because her mother discarded her. We met girls who were sold into sex trafficking by their own family members. We also met a girl who was raped by her dad and so her baby is also her sister. It was just so sad to see so many beautiful, talented girls who were desperate for love.

Because we are going back there tomorrow we do not have a video yet. If you want to see some amazing photos then check out Hailey Moore's blog at http://visionofyou.tumblr.com/. Just click on any of the 1st 3 pics or the 5th pic to view approx. 100 amazing photos.

Guatemala - Day 3 & 4

2009-07-08T23:58:00.008-07:00

First of all, forgive me if my posts have been sporadic in thought and if i've been having frequent fragmented sentences. Most video editing and postings are happening way too late at night!

Our Schedule:

Day 3 (July 7)

- Remar all day (private orphanage housing approximately 400 kids)

Day 4 (July 8)

- Remar in the morning

- Elisa Martinez in the afternoon (governmental orphanage (68 boys w/ 40 special needs))

- Soccer w/ Transitional Kids early evening

Both of the videos below have a mix of 2 days put together:

WOW!! Visiting the Remar orphanage has completely flipped our worldview upside down! In the beginning my main purpose for us to go on this trip was to hopefully create a passion for ministry within our kids and for them to gain exposure to the needs around them. I never expected it would completely give us a greater picture of who Christ is and His love for us. This has definitely been a life changing experience for us all today being at Remar. Having over 400 kids it was overwhelming seeing how many kids were in one place. Having a lack of staff & supplies only makes you wonder how little treatment and care they are getting. More so, you wonder how little love they are getting.

Here is another video when we were at the Elisa Martinez orphanage, the boy's home. They were so fun to be around and so joyful. Watch this video for a glimpse of what we did:

During worship tonight one our leader, Jon Rankin, led a devotional on how being with the orphans today has changed our perspective on being adopted by Christ and the implications that go with that.

Leaving the Elisa Martinez & Remar orphanages was such a heart breaking experience for us all today! Personal story: A girl Tayler and I really connected to was Margarita. When we first got there she was sitting in the sun by herself having absolutely no expressions whatsoever. Having bugs all over her face and eating dried up milk it was obvious she doesn't get much attention, along with so many others. 24 hours later, after a clean bath and a lot of loving, she was completely different and was quietly joyful about life. Everyone else had very similar stories and wondered what a drastic change this could make on a orphan's life if we were able to adopt a child. The hardest part was realizing that when we leave, these children will go back to having little to no attention and being malnourished.

All of these experiences, along with Jon's devotion, truly gave us a better picture of what it means to be adopted by Christ. Being chosen, we have received a heir greater than any man could ever give. Just like a child will receive all things when being adopted we too receive all things the Father has. Just like a child's life and worldview will drastically change when being adopted so should ours. How sad is it that He has blessed us so tremendously but yet we are so ungrateful and/or oblivious to the gifts of God. Watching these orphans be so thankful with little makes me sick to think about how discontent we are with much. This experience has definitely gave us a greater appreciation for being adopted into Christ's family. It has shown us that our life should be a life lived in gratitude for what the Father has done for us.

Well, again, leaving these orphanges was really hard to do. With many tears shed (even the guys), it is so sad to leave the orphans knowing that they will go right back into their homes with very little love and attention. Though sad it has encouraged us to know that God will never leave us. And though our hearts break how much more does the Father's heart break for us. He is always there and will never forsake us!

Also, view Hailey Moore's Blog, one of our students, to see a preview of pics. She should be posting quite a few pics by tomorrow evening. Check it out! She takes amazing pictures!!

Guatemala - Day 2

2009-07-07T00:57:00.008-07:00

Today was a GREAT day! We mainly went to 2 orphanages that were completely different.

In the morning we went to a Buckner orphanage that had 15 babies anywhere from 0-6 years old. While some are orphans due to death of parents, most were discarded. There were also a few who had their teenage mother living in this home as well. The majority had such sad stories of how they ended up at this home. One was discarded because her face was burnt from boiling water spilling all over her. One was found tied to a tree in chains where her parents treated her like a dog and fed her by throwing food at her. One was hit in the eye by her own mother and was taken to a witch doctor because her eye kept bleeding. The doctor then poured something in her eye which burned it till it turned completely white. Therefore the mother discarded her into the streets because of the way she looks.

We were all in awe wondering how anyone could abandon such beautiful and sweet children. With no choice of being rejected, we were amazed to see how much joy and love these children had to offer.

In the afternoon we went to a governmentally ran orphanage which had 68 boys and about 50 of them had special needs! Right when we got off the bus they greeted us enthusiastically with hugs and kisses. It was just so amazing for all of us to see how though they are in such need they are still so happy.

Though it was chaotic we somehow managed to share Daniel 3 to them, had relay races, played big group games, taught them a worship song, and passed out popsicles. We ran out of battery on the camera at this home but will be going back there on Wednesday afternoon. We'll show you what this orphanage was like then.

Overall, this was was our 1st day where I feel that God opened our eyes to how great the need is here in Guatemala and what the orphanages are like. I look forward to seeing what God will continue to do the rest of this week!

Guatemala - Day 1

2009-07-05T22:59:00.007-07:00

Today was the first official day of our mission trip. We were all so excited to see the kids we've been talking about. We started our day out by attending a huge Guatemalan worship service. It was pretty amazing. We even had ear pieces with an english translator. Worship was amazing and VERY energetic. It was great to see other's around the world worshiping the same God we ourselves worship in the US. We even knew two of the songs from our home churches. It was definitely a great way to start out our first day... worshiping the Lord!

Above is a video of our day. It was pretty eventful. We hung out with about 30 kids from a "transitional" home. These are kids who will eventually be transitioning from an orphanage to society in Guatemala. We ate McDonalds with them and then the boys headed to a soccer field for an intense game of soccer, which we wish we could've filmed. They said it was an incredible experience seeing hundreds of people playing soccer. Apparently, our American boys lost. :) The girls spent time making bracelets, painting fingernails, and playing games. We then all got back together for a tasty treat. Lastly, we were able to pray for the kids and send them home with their own spanish bible. It was a great day, we learned a lot and were only more excited for tomorrow's activities.

Pray for us as we head to two orphanages tomorrow. First, we will be visiting an infant home with many abandoned children. The second half of the day we will be at an all boys special needs home. We're excited to see what the Lord has in store for us!

Adios for now!

Tayler Ratanasin

ARRIVAL

2009-07-04T22:41:00.004-07:00

We are finally here!! Approximately 2 hours ago our whole group arrived here safely at our hotel, The Vista Real, here in Guatemala City! We are truly blessed to be able to stay at such a safe hotel and to be in good hands with Buckner.

After a time of worship during our first meeting, I can tell that our group is anxious to get out into the orphanages to share the love of Christ! With most being on only a couple of hours of sleep, we only hope that Christ's strength will be made perfect in all of our weaknesses.

Please pray that we all get sufficient rest tonight and that we are well prepared for tomorrow's activities. I know that God will do great things not only in the lives of the orphans but ours as well.

Stay tuned for a video post tomorrow!!

Here are a few pictures from the day we arrived!

Guatemala

2009-06-30T14:42:00.004-07:00

Well, it now looks like we will now be taking a trip to Guatemala!! Through all the chaos of trying to reschedule a trip we will be taking 19 K-life leaders & high school students to Guatemala City from July 4 - 11. Here we will be visiting an orphanage and working with at-risk children.

With a country slightly smaller than Tennessee, it amazes me how there are over 370,000 orphans there. Also, 5,000 children between the ages of 5-14 live on the streets in Guatemala city alone, which is where we will be going.

Please keep us in your prayers for not only safety but also for our kids, that the exposure they'll receive will be a life changing experience.

Stay tuned for daily video posts starting July 4th updating everyone about our trip.

Honduras

2009-06-29T13:23:00.005-07:00

If you have yet to hear, our Mission Trip to Honduras was canceled. Because of some political unrest going on in Tegucigalpa, we saw it best to not go down there. So sorry if you were expecting a video post updating you.

Having over 1,000 pounds of humanitarian aid and being both mentally and physically ready to go, we are in a scramble to get another international Mission Trip going. Please keep us in your prayers and stay tuned to see what happens.

A Benefit to End Homelessness in Denver

2009-06-19T14:02:00.004-07:00

The Cardboard Campout!!

My brother-in-law and some of his buddies made this video to help promote The Cardboard Campout! What an amazing ministry and opportunity for us to help end homelessness in Denver! Below is some info that I got from them:

"The Cardboard Campout for the homeless is an all night experience to raise money and awareness for the Homeless of Denver and to immerse it's participants into what the world of a homeless person is like for one night. The participants will approach the people they know to ask for donations. In exchange, the participants will agree to fast, pray, and sleep outside all night on a piece of cardboard. Each person must raise a minimum of $100 to participate in the event."

Where: The 70-Acre property of Northen Hills Church. 5061 E 160th Ave. Brighton, CO 80602

When: The night of Saturday, August 8th 2009

Who: Anyone who wants to make an impact on Homelessness

Their goal is to end homelessness in Denver by 2015! Wow! To learn how you can support or participate in this event then just visit: www.CardboardCampout.com.

Missions

2009-06-11T09:27:00.006-07:00

I met with a friend yesterday who is moving oversees to minister mainly to Muslims. He educated me more on the culture and also showed me this video below.

Though somewhat over dramatic, watching this video makes me realize how fast the Muslim faith is growing. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Beatboxing Video

2009-06-09T10:25:00.004-07:00

This guy got 2nd in an Online Beatboxing competition. He deserves 1st but this vid is awesome!! Watch and be amazed!

Truth

2009-06-03T09:10:00.006-07:00

WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD??

As Christians, I believe that this question is very fundamental to our beliefs! But how many of us actually know the answer?

Jesus once said, "for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, _____." Does anyone know the answer? I asked this question a few nights ago in K-Life and we heard answers like "to forgive us of our sins", or "to conquer death so that we may have eternal life". Though all these answers are good, they are not correct. The answer is:

TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH!!

If he is testifying to the TRUTH then he is assuming that there is a LIE! My pastor always said that if you buy into a lie then you will end up either Lost, Isolated, or Emptied. Living in a culture where LIES are being thrown at you from all direction, it can sometimes be hard to fight for TRUTH, or even know what TRUTH is.

In a recent study, it revealed that only 9% of professing Christians have a biblical worldview. Because of this, a believer's life does not look much different than that of a non-believer! With "The Truth Project" being one of our main sources, we are going take a journey in K-Life to search for what it means to have a Biblical Worldview. We believe that true transformation comes when one can look at life from a biblical perspective. It's going to be a fun summer and I'll continue to keep you posted:

UGHHH!!

2009-05-22T06:11:00.008-07:00

After a long night of painting the K-Life house and going to bed at 1am, above is a picture of our Southwest plane that we missed, which departed at 6:45am. I've never missed a flight before so this is really frustrating!! Everything basically went wrong: parking was full, long lines in everything, traffic, etc. The picture above is literally what our plane looked like right when we got there, attached to the gate appearing that it is still boarding. Looking forward to seeing family for vacation I guess we'll have to wait a little bit longer.

Well, can't wait to see family! Have a Great Memorial Weekend!!

SPENT

2009-05-07T10:38:00.006-07:00

SPENT!! This is going to be our new theme for K-Life 09-10!

I have constantly been amazed how much us Americans not only have but also how much we consume! While this isn't necessarily bad, it is so sad to see how this has created such a selfishness and discontent within so many. We have grown to constantly want more and have become more oblivious to how little others have.

In 1956 Congress voted to have a national motto "In God we Trust"! Have you ever thought about how ironic it is that this motto is on all of our bills and coinage?! I don't know about you but it sure looks like our culture is serving the dollar more than the motto written on the back.

The reason why we chose "Spent" as our theme for next year is because we truly believe that if we learn to live life opening our hands on behalf of others then we can truly make a difference. The other day I heard on the "Simply Orange Juice" commercial (great OJ by the way) a man said "I believe that in order to keep your mind clean you have to get your hands dirty." I love this saying because I truly believe that our culture & our communities can be transformed if the Church can come together and get their hands & knees dirty! Example: there are 143 million orphans in the world. If 6% of the church would adopt then every child in the world would have a home. Why aren't we doing this?!! I truly don't believe it's a heart issue but rather that we are just far removed from the needs around us!

Let us constantly be challenged to not only be content with what we have but to also open our eyes to see the needs around us. In John 6, a community of 5000 were fed / satisfied because Jesus multiplied one boy's gift. Can you imagine what would have happened if that boy never gave what he had? Better question: Can you imagine what might your community look like if you were to offer back to God what He has given to you?

The Time Has Come

2009-05-04T08:35:00.004-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen..... boys and girls....buckle your seat belts 'cause this blog is taking off!

That's right, you can expect weekly if not daily posts here at bryanratanasin.blogspot.com. I'll be writing about whatever is going on in that little brain of mine, whether it's culturally relevant issues as they pertain to Christianity, youth ministry and community in the 21st Century or probably more likely what I think is funny.

Wondering who the heck I am and why you should give a flip about this blog? You are not alone. My name is Bryan Ratanasin, but most people call me Rat. I married to an amazing woman named Tayler. She is crazy small and is also my co-worker. I live in Denver Colorado where I will serve as the area director for a para-church ministry called K-Life. I hang with middle and high school students in small and large group settings all the time and I LOVE IT.

Please check out the links immediately to your right. You can follow me via a few different media and you can check out some of the blogs I like to read. Thanks for visiting! Feel free to leave a comment with a specific topic you might like me to research and write about.