They were very kind :)

My title for the day is an inside joke.
I expected this week to be very busy and I wanted to be organized and have things comfortable and ready for all our guests. Tuesday morning they were all here and I thought I was too busy to get sick and lived in denial till Wednesday morning, the busiest day. There was a virus with dengue like symptoms going around, and I had to accept that God had other plans for me. I learned some lessons on my sick days. The first was that I was surrounded by wonderful people who took over and did what ever needed to be done. The second was that God was kindly reminding me that time with Him is priority and I had been falling into the pattern of 'just doing one more thing' before spending time with Him. Thankfully, I am feeling much better and my heart has a deep appreciation for the ladies who 'loved by serving' this past week.
 I will admit I was wondering how it would feel to have all the 'board' here at one time. I learned that they are a very nice group of men and we enjoyed the privilege of hosting them. Vernon enjoyed himself very much and had a wild thought to try to pick the pocket of one man he was picking up at the airport! He was sneaking around behind the guy, trying to decide if he should act like a dignified house dad or just be himself, when the man  turned and said,"hey, Vernon, I know what you are trying to do"! I have to laugh every time I think of it because I'm sure Vernon was all crouched over with a huge grin on his face just thinking about it!
Last night we, Marta, Priscila, Jeana, Jody, Rhoda and I were doing dishes. I went out to fill the big water jug with pure water. I got distracted. I was in the kitchen and kept wondering why I heard splashing water. When I realized why, I let out a YELL. Jeana screamed a loud scream and leaped into a defensive position, (she thought I had seen a spider). We all charged out to the water jug and sure enough, there was water splashing out of the jug and running down into the cellar! Rhoda calmly said, "well, it looks like we have a lake". We couldn't help laughing at all the drama. Once again, I have a very clean cellar floor. Vernon very logically explained, "honey, you can't walk away from the jug when you are filling it"!   Oh.

A New Book

This year, I have been thinking of the opportunity I have to write a new book. It has 365 pages and I get to decide what is on each page! If I can live this year remembering that 2012 is my new book, maybe I can make more wise choices and fewer hasty ones.
This year my first few pages have some good memories on them, such as:
How wonderful it was to see Marta and Priscila back from their holidays and part of 'the family' again.
Making a Guatemalan meal of rice and beans for a work crew at the church and realizing that God  heard my prayers for rice and beans that would taste good.
Going shopping with Vernon and stocking up on groceries for the upcoming weeks.
Having the girls help me in the kitchen with baking and cooking.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning!
Playing settlers with Vernon, Jared and Craig! (interesting)
Having the honor of grilling chicken for the girls retreat that was going on this weekend, and then getting to help serve a special meal to them. It was amazing to see so many girls, most of whom have given their hearts to the Lord. I thought of how each girl has a story, and of how God loves them all so much and has a work for them to do.
Sitting around the dining room table today and having a very interesting and enjoyable conversation with a bunch of 'strangers'. There were guests who were headed to Antigua for Spanish school, a temporary helper from an out post who was in the city for dental work and then there was Duane and Sharon Eby, a couple we had never met but who had lived in Guate for 17 years and now serve on the MAM Board. We have enjoyed learning to know them and enjoy their insight and humor!
Having a song service at the new, not yet finished church and enjoying the beautiful sound.
 These are some of the things written on the pages of my new book. I have written of laughter, annoyance, patience and impatience, treasuring family and friends. What a challenge!
This next week is going to be a full one. I expect I will get to make lots of choices about getting uptight or not:) Monday most of the MAM Board members will be flying in. They will be here most of the week and some will be staying longer. It seems like there could be the pressure to perform, but I refuse to give in to it! I want to be who I am and be more concerned that I am the woman God created me to be.This past weekend was a special girls retreat, a time for the youth girls to be together and be taught, challenged and encouraged in their Christian life. After such a time, I am expecting some tired girls and also I am expecting that they will be tested, I call them confirmation tests, on all and any decisions they have made this weekend to serve God with their whole heart. Pray for the youth girls in Guatemala that they will be faithful to God and follow Him.

Just do the next thing!

Thursday morning I would have given a lot to escape the days to do list. What ever made me think I needed to paint the library? Sure, it was a dirty white and looked dingy and cold, but what made me think I needed to do it? We were supposed to be enjoying Christmas vacation and relaxing a bit before the rush of activity that is happening in the beginning of January. But Vernon bought the paint, at my suggestion, and we were committed. So, three grouchy women, the girls and I, began our job. Thank God for a husband who whistled and sang while he helped us by taping all the little window panes in three windows! The grouchy didn't last long and we ended up having a fun day slapping paint on the walls and trying not to get in each others way! I'm suspicious that MAM headquarters hasn't seen such a house family before! We looked quite splattered and every time the door bell rang, there was a desperate attempt to get out of answering the door! There was singing and laughing and talking and some fear too, when we started on the accent color! Gone are the stark white walls and in their place are um.... different walls! Come visit us if you want to see them :) It was a long day, but one I will look back on with a special warmth in my heart for the opportunity of working with my girls, enjoying every moment of it, also the blessing of  Vernon's singing and whistling. I love it. One more precious memory is of Jared helping paint too, and how much he enjoyed being a part of it all, though when Linda invited him down to play, he went leaping out the door!
Today was a catch up day. We did laundry, cleaned, shopped, and the girls made a wonderful supper of garlic herb bread, spaghetti, salad and choco bananas and pineapple. A fitting ending to a beautiful, hot, sunny day. Adios!

Another Christmas Past

What we did on our Christmas in the tropics, even though the city is not tropical!
Saturday we spent the morning cleaning, doing laundry and cooking. We had a late lunch and I baked fresh buns and Vernon grilled hamburgers. It was delicious! After lunch was all cleaned up, Jared went on his treasure hunt that the girls had made for him. We all followed behind and enjoyed the hunt with him. He was so excited and thrilled when he found the treasure, some fireworks. Since then, I have had more years scared off my life by sudden loud noises. My initial reaction is to jerk upright, open my mouth and yell as my right foot kicks. It seems to be entertaining for the others! The weather was so sunny and warm we all piled into the van and went to the park about 20 min. from here. It has green grass and pine trees and swings and a small zip line and hiking trails. We made use of all of them and also had fun with the Frisbee, creating our own special Frisbee throwing competition. After we got home, we had a special supper of snacks and  then played an exciting and scary game of piggy wants a signal, in the dark. Vernon scared me so bad when I quietly opened a door and he was standing on the other side. We had so many laughs! Then we played games until the fireworks started. We kept rushing up to the open roof to check out the noise but when they really started, we knew! I have never in all my life seen such a show! We got a ladder and climbed up on a higher roof and the whole city was blazing with what looked like a grand finale that lasted for at least 45 minutes! The noise, smoke and lights were indescribable.
Sunday morning we had a relaxing morning and church started an hour later than normal. Brian preached about the innkeeper having no room and then asked us to look at our own lives, do we have time and room for Jesus? After  church Craig made strawberry milkshakes to tide us over till our late lunch at two thirty. We had some pork meat that I roasted in the oven and then Vernon put it on the grill to give it the smoked flavor. It was delicious! We spent the evening relaxing and playing games and talking of our families and what they were doing today. Did I forget to mention the fresh fruit pizza we had for dessert? Yum!
That is what our Christmas in the tropics was like and we made some very precious memories and had a wonderful Christmas even though we felt some pangs of homesickness for our family back in the states!

The Christmas Season!

The days are rushing by and Christmas is almost here! It is hard to feel like 'the season' when we have 75* days and blue sunny skies along with flowers blooming that are not 'christmasy'. Our flowerbeds are full of blooming geraniums and the tulip tree still has some flowers. Somehow to plop poinsettias in the middle of such foliage doesn't look right! In spite of appearance, we decided to get into the spirit and have done some special baking along with some chocolaty treats. Wednesday the church ladies came for a cookie baking exchange. After sharing a bunch of cookies, we ate lunch together. I enjoyed the morning even though I wasn't involved with the baking. Last night was the staff Christmas meal. We had a great time and Janelle had things beautifully decorated. The meal was delicious and then we got to sing some English carols after Roy told the Christmas story. He has a way of making it come alive and keeping the children's attention. The last thing we did was listen to the story of Mr. Toomie. The candle light, festive spirit, good friends, good food and thankful hearts made for a memorable evening. Today is the first day of school vacation and we celebrated by having breakfast a bit later than normal and making waffles! Marta and Priscila left on Wed. to spend 2 weeks with their families, so this morning Jared and I were mopping floors and wiping off the dining room chairs. The work load isn't as big as normal because we aren't getting any guests that we know of. So we will try to balance the work that needs to be done along with a bit of holiday time. This morning we were talking about what work needed to be done and the never ending dishes that seem to need washing, when Roy came into the kitchen and told us of a family in their church that had a 16 year old son who got killed in an accident in March and then yesterday the family was driving and got hit by a drunk driver and the 11 year old boy is in critical condition! Talk about perspective. "O God forgive me when I whine"...
One thing about Christmas this year that makes it special is the fact that we are so clearly reminded of the reality that 'things' are not what make Christmas!! There is the sweetest lady that has such a hard life that most of us would think we have a right to be bitter and to self medicate to ease our pain, but she sings and laughs and looks to God for strength. She has money to buy rice and beans for her Christmas meal, but no money for specil food, and instead of complaining, she looks forward to the fact that her sister is coming to visit. There is another family lives in a continuous battle just to keep food in the house. Two days ago, they had no food and the daughter works to provide for the whole family. They do what ever they can find to do, selling donuts and such like. How can I go spend money on more clothes, decorations, and things when I see such suffering? These are poignant reminders that contentment and a grateful heart is not an option, but a Bible command! So Christmas in the tropics is.... enjoying family and friends.... drinking fresh strawberry lemonade... sitting in the sun soaking up the warmth...... singing 'we wish you a merry christmas' in English, while dropping off some packages at a home..... hugging the hurting showing love through the language barrier.......... sitting in candlelight listening to Mr. Toomie.........watching the children play an active game of tag in the dark......... playing games.......... planning a treasure hunt for Jared to make finding a few fire crackers an adventure..... but most of all, remembering that Jesus was willing to come down here and live on this earth and face the hatred and rejection of so many of his creation, willing to die on the cross; he was willing to do that for me! That truly is what makes Christmas the most beautiful time of the year! ...............................................................................Merry Christmas!

You Never Know!

What a week! Spanish school is behind us, our weekend of revival meetings is over and we are spending Monday cleaning and doing mountains of laundry, mostly bedding, from having a lot of guests. The compound was full and because the church is here, during the day there were about 100 people here. Lunch and supper were cooked by native women and we had some wonderful meals! Sunday morning we served 40 people for breakfast. So it was a full week.
The bus rides to Antigua were an experience. Our first bus on Monday morning was so full, we were standing on the bottom step. We thought the bus was full, :) and we would not be stopping for any more passengers.... wrong! We took on a lot more people, just kept packing tighter. Some of the rides, I would watch the little children, and when their seat had 4 adults crammed onto it, they would sit up against the seat and hold on. Tuesday morning when we started to board the bus, the driver and his helper and Vernon were all excited to see each other and had their little hand shake ritual. Vernon has bused on their bus enough to be recognized and welcomed. Our time in Spanish school was great and I know it helped, but there is so much to learn and I had a hard time getting in all the study time I needed! We had guests come in during the week and my 'domestics' girl went home to the states on furlough and Marta went to San Bartolame for a few days. We were short handed, Jeana had a lot of responsibility. Jody helped when she could and Ruth and Elba helped out too.
The most unexpected part of the week was walking beside a young mother from Belize who was staying here while her baby was in the hospital. The baby was 2 months old and had been in the hospital since birth. He had one surgery at 5 days to repair some puncture that had accidentally happened. The real problem was that he was born with his small intestine malformed and it was sealed shut. He was a very sick baby when he got here. We were in the hospital with the mother on Tuesday afternoon and night while the baby had surgery. He seemed to come through alright and the doctor had hope he would pull through, but at 4 am they called and told the mother to come right away. We hurried to get ready and Vernon and I and Priscila went along. The baby died just before we got there. I went in to the intensive care unit and I can't describe how sad it was to see this young mother mourning her baby and all I could do was hug her. The baby was a beautiful baby and we both noticed what a peaceful expression he had on his face. We spent most of the day at the hospital half of it at the morgue just being there with the mother and baby. Because it was International there was a lot of paper work and the hospital wouldn't release the body till the bill was paid in full. There were many caring people at the hospital, doing what they could to help. This was Wednesday, and on Friday morning early, our mission pilot, Danny, flew the mother and baby to Belize City. Priscila was with the mother every day, and was a wonderful support and also was able to help the mother as she talked to doctors and etc. One tiny 5lb. life, and yet I will never forget it! Only 2 months old, but that precious baby brought heaven closer. We can think we have our life all planned out and figured out, but...... we never know! Pray for Sherri.

One Week..

How time flies! Some memories of this past week......
On Monday Vernon and I went to Clubco to stock up on groceries. We 'pulled' up to the check out lane with two full carts only to remember that Vernons membership card was at home! So Vernon went and talked our way through the check out lane. We left with a grateful heart for the manager who let us go ahead with the purchase!
Tuesday morning, Priscila and Marta took us to Trebol, a rough place in the city where more robberies happen than in zone one. We walked into the market and down narrow aisles crowded with people. We were looking for fabric for all the youth girls from our church here for a special program they will be giving at the girls retreat scheduled for January. I was impressed with the beautiful fabric displays in tiny little tiendas. Then I thought of the ads I have seen for hiring someone to come into our home and tell me how to utilize my space! Here, I can learn for free, just need to be observant. We found a beautiful fabric that all five of them liked, much to our delight!
Another memory is of MAM pastors coming from all over Guatemala for the pastors meeting. How they came in quietly, and sometimes hungry after their long bus ride, and how they were very polite and ate the strange tasting 'americano' food and graciously thanked me! Ruth made the main meal, a delicious one of red beans with meat and rice. It was so good we ate it all up!
Saturday, I went into the workshop and saw Vernon putting a few small boards on a wall and Jorge was watching and scratching his head in puzzlement. Soon the small pieces became a place to hang the clamps that had been piled in a corner, and Jorge began handing clamps to Vernon with a smile on his face. As I left they were chuckling and pleased with themselves about another clean corner in the tiny shop.
Another memory is the ear piercing shriek at our doorway when a scared spider crawled across Jody and Jeana's path.
A special memory was eating Sunday lunch together, just our family. I had made a crock pot of chow mien because we were expecting  to go to an outpost about 4 1/2 hours from here. Plans changed and so we ate at our table, in our little house, just the five of us. It was a good time!
I will always remember Reforma, a street in Guatemala city. We kept driving up and down that street looking for a family we were to pick up. This city is in zones and we were bordering zones 9 nd 10. The mix up was that both zones had the same street number right next to us and so we were driving up and down just one block  to the right of where we were supposed to be! We finally found them and now there is another part of the city we know quite well. :)
I remember playing lots of games this week, some with Jared, some as a family, and having a fun time of it.
Most of all, this week I will remember how God showed Himself so clearly through answered prayer. It is so beautiful how our Creator confirms to us that He hears and answers!
Next week, I expect more memories! Vernon and I are going to Spanish school and I am praying my brain will become a sponge and absorb it all!