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. :)