A visit and an event

I had 2 visitors at the beginning of the month and I was quite excited to see them! PCBC's Missions Minister, Brandon Boyd, and the leader of the Guatemala committee, Randy Perry, came to visit me and to consult with ministry partners. It was so nice to see familiar faces! They had a lot to do in 2 days. They picked me up early the first day with some members of the staff of Buckner International and we drove through Antigua to Jocotenango to visit the Community Transformation Center that we partner with there. It has medical care, social workers, computer classes, and job skills training, with the goal being to strengthen the family unit as a whole. Next we drove up the mountain to Alotenango to see the satellite site where they are offering care to even more people from the community. We returned to Antigua for a great lunch and then drove back to the city and discussed plans for the following day. On that day we visited various ministry sites in the city and also ate lunch with the Glicks, my CAM missionary contacts. I enjoyed the fact that people on both sides of my mission were getting to meet each other and discuss the needs in Guatemala.

Another happy part of their visit was that they brought 2 bags with them that I packed before I left! I only brought 2 suitcases when I first arrived and it sure didn't seem like much when I unpacked them in my apartment. I am thankful to have more clothes and shoes and toiletries that are expensive to buy here. And my mom threw in some goodies like a can of pumpkin and Hershey's cocoa! It's the little things that make it feel like home, right?

The following Friday I participated in a large event with a ministry here called The Potter's House, or Casa del Alfarero. My good friend Berta works there and invited me to participate.Their office is right next to the city dump here, which is about the size of 12 football fields, and hundreds of people sift through the trash to find items to sell and to recycle, making about $2 per day. The goal of their programs is to remind the people that they are not trash, they are God's treasures, and to holistically help them towards a better future. This was one of 2 big events they are having during the Christmas season and took about 3 months of planning and donations. I arrived at 7:30am and was promptly placed in the back of a pick up truck and driven into the dump. I had visited nearby before, but Potter's House is one of few organizations granted permission to enter. We were dropped off in the canyon-like pit next to stacks and stacks of old cars and a huge mound of presidential campaign signs. Ironic how important those were just a month ago, and now they lie there in a torn-up heap. The organization had set up hundreds of folding chairs, a make-shift stage, and an area of tables for food.

My first task was to help unload 1200 bags of 'vivires', or food staples, from vans and pick ups. They were wrapped in brightly colored red and green bags and tied with string. Inside were beans, rice, sugar, etc. Next we counted and organized the snack for the day - a sandwich, pastry, and juicebox. There were just under 100 volunteers; I believe I was the only norteamericana. Soon the workers began to come and sit in the plastic chairs as the CDA staff ran around finishing the details. A preacher from a nearby church gave the message for the day - like I said, that they are treasures in God's eyes, not trash, and that he loves them no matter where they are. As I counted sandwiches, I wondered when the last time was that many of them had heard that message. He reminded them of the real meaning of Christmas, that we have a savior that came to earth to die for all of us, before we were even born. Afterwards he invited them to the front to pray. Many came forward and many cried as the CDA staff surrounded them. It was our turn next. The workers made two lines with the help of the staff and we handed each person a snack and a bag of goods, saying "Dios te bendiga y feliz navidad" - God bless you and merry Christmas. And they hurried over the hill back to their jobs - many afraid to miss an hour of work because time is money in the dump as it is everywhere else. When all was said and done, over 1100 people were served that day, just under the number that they had prepared for. I'm grateful to the Lord for His provisions.

I stayed afterwards for lunch with my friend and her co-workers. It was a blessing to listen to them discuss the fruit of their labor and how each one was impacted differently by the events of the day, whether in front or behind the scenes. For me, it was such a reminder of how we are called to love our neighbor and of the hope that comes only through Christ. Without CDA, those families wouldn't have that bag of food. They wouldn't have been reminded that God loves them and that the people of CDA do too. And they certainly wouldn't have heard the message that they are valued in the eyes of Christ, even if often they are not in the eyes of the world. I pray that you and I remember, in the Christmas season and beyond, that "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us"(Romans 5:8). All of us. That's the message of the season, that kind of love. And I pray that we all take the time to pass it on.

Cristo ha venido! Christ has come!

John 13:34-35

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

(Photos compliments of Casa del Alfarero)

Let me check my calendar...

That's a joke that I've been making here when someone asks what my plans are or if I can do something, "Let me check my calendar...". It's a joke because my calendar is blank, which probably hasn't happened since I was 4. I have tried to explain to a couple of people here about the North Dallas way of life - if you aren't overbooked, you aren't living. I know Dr. Denison used to preach on that subject often since it was so prevalent in our church. It has been quite a learning experience to just slow down and enjoy each moment as it comes. It hasn't been the easiest adjustment not having a schedule of activities or a list of friends to call, but the Lord is already providing. And I know the idea is to actually "Be Still" once and while...I'm learning.

Last week I was invited to a ballet recital by the Stewarts, other CAM missionaries here. I didn't know the girls in it or where it was, but who am I to turn down an invitation these days, and I had taken years of dance, so I was sure that I would enjoy it. I met up with them to carpool and it turned out it was being held at the National Theater in the center of the capital! It was a story ballet with characters and songs from various popular ballets. I was very glad that I went!

Outside of theater

Theater lobby

I had my first meeting at CAG, the school for missionary children, and was invited to a Bible study for ladies who work there. I attended on Monday night and they are studying the book of Esther. It was great to meet some of the people that I will be working with and fellowship with them too. That night I was invited to a dinner that happens every Wednesday night with some of the younger teachers and is given by a missionary wife here in her beautiful home. We had salad, enchiladas, and chocolate chip cake, and I got to meet some more girls from CAG. I was even more thankful that I attended that one! Now I know why the girls said they look forward to Wednesdays so much...I am very grateful for people trying to make my adjustment here an easier one.

I actually had an uninvited guest when I returned home Saturday night - a scorpion crawled out from behind my armoire. I may or may not have screamed, the only witness is no longer living. I sprayed it with roach spray and then hit it with my dust pan and threw it out into the garden. Funny now, yes... It is for sure the first one I've ever seen alive, even after 10+ years of summer camp, and I was not impressed. I talked to my landlord the next day and 24 hours later there was an exterminator at my door. I had to leave for the afternoon, but hopefully I have returned to a scorpion- and freakishly large spider-free home for the next two months.

yo lo maté!

Sunday held the final round of elections for the next president of Guatemala. Things were calm overall, which is a blessing for this country. Otto Pérez Molina, a retired military general, came out on top. It remains to be seen what will happen; I heard him called "el menos peor"- literally "the least worst" - multiple times. Please pray for the future of Guatemala as it changes hands next year.

And lastly, my parents bought plane tickets to visit me in January!! I'm so excited and I know that I will be so ready to see them after missing them over the holidays!! :)

"Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7

Español todo el día

"Repite: imprimido" "Imprimido" "No, repite: IMprimido" "Imprimido" "No, eschuche: imprimido" .... there is a 30 second glimpse into the Spanish lessons that I've been having for almost 4 weeks now. I'm *pretty* sure that I repeat exactly what my teacher says, but she doesn't always seem to agree... We've made a lot of progress in these weeks and I'm happy to be able to express myself more clearly - in the past I knew that I was saying things incorrectly, but I didn't know how to phrase them. I still have a long way to go, especially with vocabulary, but I am pleased with the progress we're making and thankful for the opportunity to study so intensely - if it makes ministry here at all easier, it will have been well worth it. I have Spanish tutoring at my house from 8-12, then I usually go for a walk or run, eat lunch, then study again. Lately I've been going to a nearby coffee shop, Cafe San Lucas, to study - it has a bright, open space and a great, cheap latte - which clearly makes studying easier, and more productive. And I just like getting out of my little casita after being cooped up all morning.

Speaking of getting out of the house, I've been trying to drive more places than the Glick's house (a few blocks up the main road) and the grocery store down the block. I drove to Oscar's church, which is about 15 minutes away in Mixco, and then to the nearby mall, Eskala, which also connects to Wal-mart. It is kind of an ordeal because you have to park in a parking garage and pay to get your parking pass stamped, but since I had been before, it went smoothly, and I felt a sense of accomplishment when I returned home with my purchases. I had been in the mood to cook but am not a fan of my gas stove, so I was thinking of a recipe that you don't have to bake, and I came up with Oreo Balls! I was glad to find actual Baker's Chocolate at the Walmart. They came out perfectly and I was happy to share them with the Glicks and with my teacher, none of whom had tried them before!

Oscar, Maria, and I at church

Yum!

Tuesday, November 1st, Guatemalans celebrated All Saints Day. The night before, many spend the night in the cemeteries to pay tribute to family that has passed on, then on the holiday they eat a traditional dish called fiambre and fly kites. I got to try some of the fiambre from a friend of Oscar's - it was good, but interesting...it is kind of a big salad full of TONS of vegetables and meats....and too many beets for my taste. Here is a photo from the internet:

I got to experience a little of the kite-flying too when Oscar helped the neighbor kids make some the next day. They are called 'barriletes' here and are so pretty and fun to fly! There is also a huge kite festival nearby that I found out about too late but wish I could have seen - they make giant kites from tissue paper to represent their heritage. Here is a cool video I found of what goes on there: http://youtu.be/yRjep86xmic . 

Neighbor kids on the roof with barriletes

Oscar took this one. I stayed on the ground.

Each day is a new experience and I'm trying to maximize it all. 

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Prayers for No Rain

I moved into my new apartment yesterday, and while it is so nice, I was having a little trouble adjusting to the idea of living alone here. Then I read the news, that the whole country is in a state of emergency because of the constant rain and the mudslides that it causes, and I was very thankful for the roof over my head. Be thankful for yours too, and please pray for the people of Guatemala who are not as fortunate today.

http://www.guatemala-times.com/news/guatemala/2544-guatemala-destruction-due-to-rains-continue.html

Isaiah 58:9
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.