My Treasure

Sorry it's been a while! Let me do a quick re-cap! Last week I was in Huehuetenango. Devin and I pretty much just hung out with a pastor's family while there. This pastor (se llama Efrain) is the same gentlemen that helped us travel when the group was here. He also drove us to Totonicapan. Por eso, it was very nice to spend time with him and his family. They were very hospitable and fun to hang out with. Pero, I have to say I watched way too much Dora with their grandson. Highlights of the week: Devin learned to ride a moto, I rode with him, we went to an awesome waterpark, and we made efrain's family an all-American meal---meatloaf, green beans, and mashed potatoes!!!! O yeah-- and brownies for dessert. Que rico!!!! This past Monday we "moved" again! First Efrain took us to the airpOrt to pick up our friend Kandace! (she came to Guatemala two years ago with me:) We then ate at Applebee's for lunch!!!!!! Gloria a Dios!!!!! It was soooo good!!! After that we were dropped off at a bus station and headed east towards the heat! We arrived in Zacapa that night. We are all three living in 3 separate pueblos. Our families came and picked us up and took us home! My whole Guatemalan family was waiting for me! It at times has been unreal to believe that I am back hear with them all. This week we have just been spending time with our families, catching up with old friends, and trying to stay cool. There is a ministry in a pueblo over (this is where I first came two years ago). They have built houses for families to come live in when something happens to their home. Its like a temporary shelter for them? Anyway, we met a couple of th kids that live here Tuesday. Our plan is to next week go visit the houses and families, and do kinda the same thing we did in Toto. Maybe just visit and pray with them. We are also looking into having a Vbs there one afternoon for the kids in his area. Heart to heart moment. So like I said earlier, it at times is very hard for me to believe that God has allowed me to return here and visit a place and people I love. I've been telling people that I feel I'm in a dream!!!! Just to be honest, there was a time when I thought if I could just go back to Guatemala..Even if I could just know when I would go back. After I graduated, after 5 years, or would it be never??. If I could just get some answers I would be happy and content. Maybe this why God had me wait two whole years upon returning. You see, two years have passed and my question and prayers about Guatemala have been answered. The only problem is I now have more uestions. When or will I be able to come back? Will I be able to teach at the school I visited here in Guatemala? Will I live here? How long? And there are more concerning my future of course. So my point and something I feel God has taught me: we need to seek Him and not just answers from Him. Pray to communicate with the Almighty God not just in hopes that your wish list will be granted. Spend time in Gods Words to understand His heart more, not just in hopes He will grant your prayer requests faster. Another thing God has been reminding me over and over and over---His plans are sometimes different, but always better. It doesn't mean we won't have struggles or sadness, but there is always joy that can be found in Gods presence. Entonces, Primero Dios. Seek after God, as He is the best thing this world has to offer. He is the only thing that wil truly satisfy. I'll close with this quote I love: "To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances, to seek Him is the greatest adventure, and to find Him is the greatest human achievement." I'm content not because I am in Guatemala (because that's only for 20 more days) but because I possess the greatest treasure that can never be destroyed and that's a relationship with Jesus. My prayer is that everyone who reads this can say they have the same greatest treausure I have. Va pue!

Toto, you will be greatly missed!!!

Well my time in Toto is wrapping up! I can't believe how fast our time here has gone! Well I bet you're wondering what I've been up to. I'll start with last Wednesday Last Wednesday: I went to Quetzaltenango for the day! It's the second biggest city in Guatemala and gorgeous. We got to see where our friends Rafael and Esdras go to college. We also visited Inter-American School. It's a Christian school that teaches on English and most of the students are Guatemalan. We were able to talk with the director of the school, and it was exciting to hear the mission of the school. It's kinda like a BCA, minus it's in a different county and the students' first language is Spanish.:). But anyhooooos it was an exciting visit and I really liked it :) I'll leave it at that for now. The rest of the day we just hung out--- pizza, movie, and some much needed shopping for better shoes in all this rain! Last Thursday: One night at dinner with the family I'm livin with, we were discussing foods that we eat in the States for holidays. I mentioned that pies are pretty popular for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I then started listing the different fillings--- and of course I mentioned chocolate. Well they had never heard of chocolate pie so I told the I would make them one..... So Thursday that's what Devin, Rafael, and myself did. And yes it took all day. Haha. After help and consultation from both my mom and Devin's mom--- we were cooking!! We had some difficulties with getting the right temp on the oven, because here they use Celsis. Also we had to take into consideration the difference in altitude! ( we're higher up!!!). But at the end of the day we ended up with 3 pretty good pies if I do say so myself. Last Friday: Pool :) It was warm enough in the morning. Last Saturday: We visited the same family in Tierra Blanca. The mom was working so we just hung out with the kiddos. That afternoon we made more pies to be sold at church. Word got out about this chocolate pie made my Americans. :) That night we attended the " youth night" at church. It was good and fun! Sunday: Church in Tierra Blanca. We had Leftover crafts from when Devin's church was here so we were able to do that with the kids. We made sunglasses and had a Bible lesson. We are in the darkness, until Jesus enters into our life. With Him, we find our way because He is the way, truth, and life. Lunch with the fam... And then church with them! After church, I think we got coffee? Probably something hit :) Monday: We took that family from Tierra Blanca out for lunch! We were also able to buy them shoes. It was really fun to hang out with Lucia, the mom,and all the kiddos-- Sonrie, Vilma, Brian, and Luis. Tuesday: We went to Tierra Blanca to hang out with that same family because Luis had a soccer game. At one point we were sitting in a dugout with the family and suddenly all these kids start gathering around Devin and I. They got closer and closer and were just staring. We eventually struck up conversation, buy t was really funny...That afternoon/ night we went to a natural hot springs with our friends Joel, Esdras, and Rafael. It was very relaxing. Wednesday: Hiked to see waterfall with friends! That afternoon we went shopping for things to fill bags and pass out on house. Visits. That night our friend Rafael had us over for dinner. It was defintely an amazzzzzzzing meal. We had baked chicken ( with BBQ sauce!!!!), really good rice, steamed vegetables, and strawberry crepes. And to make it even better..... Coke to drink :) Thursday: that's today!!!! This morning we went to Tierra Blanca again to watch a soccer game and hang out with that same family. This afternoon we went with a pastor to pass out those bags of food and other items to needy famDilies in a local little town. We visited, prayed, and tried to encourage the families. Tomorrow we will spend time with the family in Tierra Blanca. We also have a couple more bags to pass out to families as we visit and pray with them. Saturday we will be traveling to Huehuetenango. I'm sad to already be leaving because I really love the people here, but I'm open to what God would have us do in Huehuetenango, and what else he has to teach me. Prayer Requests: Saying goodbye to the family in Tierra Blanca: Pray that they would see Gods love in us and seek that for themselves as well. We are nothin apart from Christ, so the kindness and generosity they might have seen in us is a reflection of Christ. House visits tomorrow: once again, that the people would see more tha just good deeds on our part-- but that they would see we are moved and. Changed by Christs love and for this we want to share and help others in Christs name. Church in Tierra Blanca: honestly the church is composed of like 20 kids and maybe 5 adults. My prayer is that these kids would. Grow in Christ and Begin a relationship with Him a an early age. Also that they would continue to mature in Christ and be examples in their community. I want that church to be a healthy body of believers-- not because numbers are important but becaus God uses the church. This is why we have invested time into that one family. We want them to seek God and encourage others to along the way. Traveling to Huehuetenango and getting settled there. Thanks for checking up on me and for your prayers!

Cebada and Lluvia

Buenas tardes! I'm in Totonicapan now, where the cebada is always boiling and the rain is always pouring in the afternoon. I'm living with a Guatemalan family now and I already love them! There's a grandma, grandpa, daughter, her husband, three kids, grandma's sister, and her niece. They all live in the same "compound" but they each have a place they call their home--- but it's all connected. They all eat and cook in the same place. They sell food for their living. ( Therefore the food has been excellent!!!!) My room is on the second floor. I kinda feel like a princess in a tower! Typical day: I wake up and have to walk down the steps of my tower that are outside to go the bathroom. I then go to the huge kitchen to greet my family which is always a struggle if you know me. It takes me a while to start talking. But nonetheless Grandma has been boiling water for me to use for my shower. I transport the water to the bathroom and return to the kitchen for another loa. They have a shower here, but hot water doesn't come out of it. So instead, I use a really small bucket to get the water from the big bucket which I then use to bath myself with-- I ll leave it at that. I then climb back up my tower and get dressed. I climb back down for breakfast. So far I've had cereal, oatmeal, hot milk and banana, and of course beans and eggs. After breakfast, Devin and Esdras ( that's who Devin is staying with) come pick me up from my house. Rafael is another Guatemalan who has been accompanying us. ( So Mom, it's like I have 3 bodyguards not just one!) Saturday we just got acquainted with Toto and ran some errands. Sunday, Devin, Esdras, and I went to a church in Tierra Blanca. We held a Vacation Bible School there last week. Anyway, upon getting there we learned the normal teacher the kids had-- so we stepped in and threw together some games and a short lesson from Gods Word. On Monday we had a birthday party for a little boy in the same town. This is a family that Devin had spent a lot of time with on his past visits. The dad of the family died a few years ago and the family is very poor. The mom has 5 kids. She doesn't attend church but allows her kids too. After lunch, cake, and a piñata we took those kids plus about 15 more to a park to play. While at the park we could tell it was getting to rain so we started making our way back to the house..... But we didn't make it! We made it about halfway, so we stopped at a local tie da to avoid getting wetter. If only I had a picture of this. Five adult s about 20 kids all leaning up against a building under the overhang of a roof trying to avoid the rain. Today we went to visit houses that we visited last week when the whole group was here. We followed up with them and wanted to be an encouragemtnt to them. So far with with these house visits I feel more encouraged from these people that I want to encourage. So thats what happens in the morning until lunch. Lunch here is normally at 2. The food here is amazzzzzing. It's actually not that different than ours. Today for lunch we had soup with noodles, chicken, and vegetables. It was like a creamy chicken noodle soup. After lunch you can't really do much.because its raining. Ive just been hangin out with the family here and naps are pretty tempting :) At night-- church when there is a service and Dinner is at like 8. Lunch is there. It meal here, so dinner is smaller or just leftovers. Prayer requests: Health ( so far so good!!! But I hope that continues) The kids of Tierra Blanca (this is where we went to church on Sunday and where the party was with all the kids; we will be spending more time with these kids this week and next) Lucia (this is the Mom of the little boy we had the birthday party for; pray for God to open more conversations with her about Christ and boldness for me) Family with mom and daughter who just had a baby and is 15 ( pray that the young girl would know that Gods love is unconditional and that He stil has a plan for her life if she would put God first) Our house visits ( that God would use me to encourage and speak truth) That in all I do, it's for God glory; that he would continue to humble me. Thank you for the prayers! Oh by the way--- hows the heat in nc??? ( I ask sarcastically as Im cuddled up with three blankets. :)