Transitions

We have been living in Guatemala for just over 4 months now and we are continuing to learn A LOT!  Sometimes it is information overload especially when it comes to learning Spanish.  It has been and continues to be the biggest and toughest transition I have ever made.  I have never lived in a foreign country (other than for a few months when I was in the Air Force), I have never learned a different language, and I have never been immersed into a completely different culture.  Not only am I transitioning but I am also trying to help our family transition.  Each day seems to bring new challenges.

Our transitions no matter how big or small are often effected by our preconceived notions about how the transition will go.  That is one of the issues I am facing.  My preconceived notion about our transition here was way off.  I knew it would be tough but the one thing I didn’t expect was the length of time it would take to transition.  I like to work hard and be effective in whatever God leads me to do.  But God has been teaching me through our transition here that I need to be patient.  I need more patience in learning Spanish, I need more patience in learning the culture, I need more patience in building relationships and I need more patience in driving etc etc etc…..  I wanted to be at full speed by now but God is teaching me to be patient in all things.  His timing is better than ours!

We have made a long term commitment to live and minister here in Guatemala.  And so with that long term commitment comes long term goals and desire to see lasting change.  Lasting change comes as we learn what it takes to bring about life long change here in Magdalena, Guatemala and each situation is different and requires different things and more learning and all of that takes time!   We know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what brings about change and so we are learning how to most effectively communicate that here.  Learning about the culture we are in is very important for effective communication of the gospel.

 It would be easy to get involved in many things that changes things for the moment but don’t really change things long term.  So we are praying, learning and growing and trying to follow God’s lead in how to be most effective for His Kingdom long term. Please pray with us as we continue to transition and continue to learn patience. 

The Lord continues to go with us as he has promised!  I have clung to a verse that the Lord brought to me through a friend and partner in our ministry here.  It is Exodus 33:14 it says “The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”  If you think about it, Jesus was the one who went through the biggest transition of all times when he left heaven to come and dwell among us. (John 1:14)  I am thankful that the one who has been through the biggest transition is walking along side me and my family through this time.

Thank you for all your prayers and support for us during this transition and journey in our lives. We are so excited to be here and learning so much and loving on the people he has sent us to!