New Adventures in Guatemala...

We are enjoying life here in Guatemala!  We are adjusting each day and it seems like we are learning more and more about the culture and the language here.  We are hard at work learning Spanish which some days seems like we are making progress and other days is somewhat frustrating J  This is a picture of our Spanish Teacher Julio.  He is a very good teacher and we are getting to know him and share our lives with him.

We had a wonderful time with our friends Jerry and Ben from Piedmont Church in Georgia.  Jerry was the pastor of our church in Texas where we lived when we first married.  We introduced them to the kids and ladies from the art and cooking schools, visited some families, delivered food baskets, and led a precious lady to Christ!  It was a packed couple of days.  We are looking forward to our partnership with Piedmont Church and how God will use them to further His kingdom here in Guatemala.

The boys are enjoying making new friends and playing outside.  Levi is doing well learning Spanish.  Luke’s vocabulary still consists of “no bueno” and “gracias”.  Our good friend Carl Bunso has been trying to teach him useful things like “lo que sea” – whatever!  Luke hasn’t caught on yet.  The other boys are enjoying making new friends and playing with each other (most of the time J).

Jennifer is adjusting to everything well and learning to cook different recipes that work with the available ingredients here and with the higher altitude.  Ben is busying studying Spanish and building relationships with some of the men and families here.

Jennifer is attending the cooking school on Wednesdays and teaching every other week.  They made sugar cookies yesterday and had a lot of fun!  The ladies were excited to try a new recipe and are looking forward to selling this type of cookie at Christmas-time to help meet their families’ needs.  We are getting to know them a little more each time we are together, but we are looking forward to the day that we are fluent in Spanish and can have more in-depth conversations with them!

One of the main things we are doing and will continue to do more is visit families and build relationships and meet their physical needs as we are able.  It can be very overwhelming at times as the needs are great.  This was the case in a home we visited yesterday.  It was a typical situation here in Magdalena.  There were many needs. The family we visited was a young widow who has three children, ages 8, 10, and 12.  They are currently living with her brother in a corner of the house.  There are about 8 people living in this home. She and her 3 kids live in the small space of what would amount to most peoples closet. The smoke in this home was horrible, it was filling the home making it hard to breathe!  They had no food in their home and we were able to provide some food for them.  This is only a temporary living situation.  She desperately needs an affordable place for her and her precious children!   Her husband passed away five years ago when he was hit by a bus on his way to work.  She is working selling vegetables in Magdalena but is barely making enough to cover school and food for them.  Her children have offered to work, but she really wants them to stay in school and get an education.  She has no idea where they will live come August.  Please pray with us for wisdom and direction on how we can encourage her and help with their physical needs. 

The Lord continues to remind us why we are here.  In our devotions together as a family tonight we were reminded why God has brought us to Guatemala.  Romans 10:14 – 15 “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?  That is why the Scriptures say, how beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news.”  It is easy to get consumed with all we have going on whether that be in Guatemala or the United States or wherever we are and forget why we are here.  We are not here to have fun, but rather as carriers and messengers of the greatest news ever told!  The good news that Jesus offers is salvation through His death, burial and resurrection!  I Corinthians 15:3-4

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support for us to be here!  We are honored to serve the Lord here and we are very excited to be able to be more involved here as we learn the language and culture better.