October 2013 Newsletter

Greetings from Guatemala!  Happy Fall Y'all!  It will be the first October in many years that we will not be going home for a few weeks of vacation.  I am really sad about that when I think about all of the fun things we enjoy every year while home that we will miss this year.  But, I get excited when I think that in just seven more weeks we will get to enjoy Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and many more holidays and family activities that we have not been home for in many years.  Stateside is drawing near.  Oh what fun lies ahead!

We continue to regularly teach Bibles stories in the villages of Nearar and Lagunetas.  In September we were able to attend a baptismal service for twelve that took place in Copan, Honduras.  Among that twelve were seven from the village of Nearar that were baptized.  Isn't that wonderful!  The other five were from a Baptist church in Copan, Honduras pastored by Bro. Nahum.   Please pray that God would greatly bless our last few weeks of teaching, and that He would give us just the words to say that their hearts need to hear.  

We are starting the month of October with a visit from two of our supervisors.  They are here to encourage us and see firsthand how the work is going.  Then beginning on Monday, Oct. 7 we will be part of another Agricultural Institute put on by our partners in Honduras.  It will be a two week training course consisting of about twelve students from villages in Honduras and Guatemala.  We have two more students from the village of Lagunetas that will be participating.   David will be teaching Bible stories at night to the group.  Would you pray for him as he prepares and teaches.  Pray also for the hearts of the students to be receptive and responsive.

We are looking forward to a visit to Kekchi country towards the end of the month to be a part of a retreat for the Kekchi national missionaries.  We will be joining some of our former Kekchi co-workers as well as some former team members from Alabama.  We are looking forward to a great time together with all of them.  

Thank you for your faithful, continued support of our ministry and lives.  Words just cannot express what an encouragement it is to us to know that you are praying.  Thank You!

In With A Bounce Out With A Bang

Weekends around here lately have been pretty busy, but we like it that way though so it's good. This past weekend was full and fun!  Here are some photos of how we spent our time-

Friday night we were back at the food court.  We noticed a bounce house when we entered the mall and promised the boys that after we ate supper we would return and let them jump.  What we didn't know was that the bounce house was an advertisement for a new food vendor.  In order to enter it you had to show your receipt that you bought something from that place.  So, since we had promised the boys they could jump (and they were screaming to get in) and we had already eaten supper elsewhere, David ended up having to go to that food booth and buying something to have a receipt.  He picked out a strawberry milkshake to share that made us all happy.  The boys were the only ones in there for the time being and they had a blast!

They seemed to be jumping together so good at least until I started videoing them.  Then Cruz proceeds to tackle his little brother at every opportunity.   Poor little Ben!  He didn't seem to mind though and never cried.

We were up and out early Saturday morning to lead Bible study in the village of Lagunetas.   While waiting to get started Cruz had some fun with the chickens.  My boys both love chickens!  Cruz has already asked me if there were going to be chickens in the States, ha.

He got to watch the family feed corn to this these chickens.  It fascinated him.  The family had just given us a large bag of corn they had grown a few days before when we were there.  I had boiled some on Friday and cut it off the cob for Cruz to eat.  When Cruz saw this he said, "mommy, those chickens are eating corn just like me".  He's a funny boy.

They also had some guisquil growing.  I mentioned guisquil in our Independence Day post.  I had made a dessert out of it.  I was able to remind Cruz of our dessert and tell him that what we ate was the same thing growing on that vine.  Again, he was fascinated.

They gave us a few guisquil (they said to put in Cruz's soup) and a bowl full of jocote.  Jocote are a type of fruit grown here. 

We then split up and I went off to teach the kids and David taught the teens and adults.  It was the first time since her accident that Damaris was able to join us (she was the girl who was run over by a motorcycle back in early July).  We meet down the hill from her house and she was not able to get down it with her hurt leg.  I was very happy to have her back.  She is a sweet girl!   Her next checkup is at the end of October and she hopes to be cleared to walk crutch free after that.  Please continue to pray for complete healing for her leg and foot.

me and Damaris

We got home in time for me to cook us a mid-morning snack (bean and cheese quesadillas), put Ben down for a quick nap, bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and then head out again.  We had a 1:00 missionary fellowship to attend at a fellow missionaries house in Chiquimula. 

a group photo from our luncheon

They served pizza and we all brought drinks and desserts to go with it.  My very favorite was this veggie pizza.  It had carrots, green beans, zucchini, and broccoli on it.  I loved it!

Sunday morning Bro. Nahum drove over from Honduras early to meet David so the two of them could travel to the village of Nearar.  They thought they were going for a Lord's Supper service but after arriving realized that the schedule got changed and they would be doing discipleship instead along with a worship service.  The group had decided to do the Lord's Supper on Saturday instead. 

Here's fellow IMB missionary David Miller leading a discipleship class on Sunday morning.

David returned home after lunch and as soon as Cruz woke up from his nap he and I headed into Chiquimula to go see "Jake and the Pirates" Live.  It was a cute show and Cruz just loved it!  I enjoyed getting to have some one-on-one time with him.  He was such a sweet boy the whole time we were gone. 

me and my big guy waiting for the show to start

Cubby, Izzy, and Jake

Mr. Smee and Captain Hook

Afterwards Cruz chose supper at McDonald's.  He wanted a grilled cheese and a strawberry sundae.

Cruz in the grocery store

We then made a quick run through the grocery store to pick up a few items I needed for the next few days.  We have visitors driving in today to stay with us.  We're looking forward to some time of fellowship with them while they are here.  

Our days seem busy, but they sure are good!

Nery's Birthday Party

Thursday afternoon we attended a 4th birthday party celebration for a little boy who lives in our town. We have gotten to know his family some since moving here and really like them.  It was a Diego themed party and a lot of fun.

The birthday boy, Nery, with his Diego piñata

Cruz hitting the piñata

The Diego piñata was for the boys and they had a Dora piñata for the girls to hit.  Here's Ben getting to check her out before the action began.  He can say "Dora" (when he wants to).

Cruz loves hitting the piñatas, but what he loves best is what falls out- LOTS of candy! 

It didn't take him long to find the blue bubble gum.  It was one of the rare times he has ever had gum.  I think he chewed four pieces during the party, ha.

While everyone was sorting through their candy Ben took a turn hitting the pinata.  He didn't care that it was already empty.  He just wanted to have some fun too.

Everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to Nery

They served two cakes.  The one above was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and strawberries that they served to the adults.

They served this clown cake to the kids.  It was really cute.

Along with the cake they also served tostadas covered with chicken salad and ketchup drizzled on top.  This is a very popular food to serve here at birthday parties.  We had an orange juice drink to go with it.

Our family at the party

In addition to the piñata candy they gave away grab bags filled with more candy, cookies, and a prize.  They also played several games at the beginning of the party and gave prizes to the winners.  Cruz was chosen for a game where the kids had to take a balloon to their mama, have their mama blow it up and tie it, and then be the first kid back to hand it in.  Cruz won this game and was given a red Toy Story 3 toy car.  He was very happy!  His mama was given a headache from having to blow up that balloon, ha.  Overall it was a fun party (they all are) and we enjoyed getting to be a part of it. 

Our Morning Up The Mountain

This morning after we dropped Cruz off at school David, Ben, and I headed up the mountain to the village of Lagunetas.  We were joined there by a few of the workers from the Ag Center in Honduras.  They were coming over to do some teaching in the village.   Obando and Noe were meeting with the men to teach agriculture and Marcia was meeting with the ladies to do health promotion.   We were there to visit and be an encouragement.   The Ag workers are coming over every other week to teach health and agriculture and we are offsetting it with Bible studies every other Saturday.   They will continue to make regular visits to the village while we are on Stateside.  That will keep an open door for us to return once we get back from our break. 

While there we also needed to talk with some of the leaders about the possibility of sending more students from that village to the next Agriculture Institute.  The next two week training class will begin around the first of October in Honduras.  The village of Lagunetas is sending two more students.  For us that is two more prospects for sharing God's Word.  Please be in prayer for this upcoming training.  The last two we tried to do as an outreach for the village of Tunuco Arriba were both cancelled.  This one will be a combination of people from Guatemalan and Honduran villages.    Pray for God to prepare the hearts of those who will be coming to study.

Before leaving we confirmed our next Bible study for this coming Saturday morning and said our goodbye's.  We'll be looking forward to returning in just a few short days.

Obando, Noe, Marcia, David, and Ben

Baptismal Service

As I mentioned in our last post we were in Copan, Honduras over the weekend to attend a baptismal service.   It was a combined service with Bro. Nahum's church in Copan and the Guatemala village of Nearar where David does a Bible study on Sundays.  Bro. Nahum is from Honduras and has worked with us and many other IMB missionaries over the years.  There was a total of twelve people baptized- five from Copan and seven from Nearar.  Here are some photos from the day-

our family before we left the hotel on Sunday morning

The baptisms took place at the creek that runs through the Macaw Mountain Bird Park in Copan.  That is the same bird park we have visited many times.  We have taken photos in front of the waterfall area where the baptisms took place.  Who knew we would be back there for a baptismal service one day?  That's pretty cool!

Here is some of the group walking down the trail to the creek.  That sidewalk was quite slippery!

Once everyone arrived Bro. Nahum got us started by leading a few songs and giving a devotion.

having a little creek side praise and worship time

The baptism candidates getting lined up.  That water was cold!  Two of the ladies were pregnant.  I felt bad for them to have to get in that water.

There were four males from Nearar that got baptized. 

Here are the three ladies from Nearar that got baptized.  The lady in blue is Reyes wife.  We meet at their home for Bible study.  Below is a video of her getting baptized.

As each person was baptized and walked back out of the water the rest of the crowd would sing a chorus.  It was really sweet.

A group photo minus one girl from Honduras.

After we were done there it was time to return to Bro. Nahum's church for another service.  On our way back we stopped by a nearby coffee shop to use the restroom.  We always thought it was only a small coffee shop and had no idea that in the back was a beautiful garden area with tables for eating.  After being shown a menu we discovered that they serve a wide variety of foods.  We'll be going back there on a future trip to eat.  Instead we ordered a cup of coffee, a cappuccino, and a piece of chocolate drizzled strawberry cheesecake to go.  We all ate it in the car on the way back which I will add was quite a challenge considering the streets in Copan are cobblestone and bump you all over the place, ha.

the beautiful garden area at Cafe Ixchel in Copan, Honduras

Bro. Nahum's church in Copan, Honduras

In spite of making a stop by the coffee shop we still had some time to kill at the church before everyone arrived and the second service started.  My boys had a lot of fun running around the building.  Cruz entertained himself by jumping off (over and over again) from the platform.  We are going to have to have a lot of deep conversations before we take him to American church on Stateside, ha ha.

my wild man in action

Once everyone arrived and was seated Bro. Nahum led us in some more praise and worship.

He then had a special time of recognition for all of the baptism candidates.  He called each one up and presented them with a "Certificate of Baptism".    Certificates are a big deal here so that was special to them.

The males from Nearar receiving their certificates.  The young guy on the bottom right is Reyes son.

The females from Nearar receiving their certificates.

a group photo (minus one)

When the service was over and we all waited for lunch to be served the kids had a fun time riding the horse.  Bro. Nahum's son helped them take turns riding.  Cruz loved it!  Ben was eager to get on and then just as eager to get off. 

For lunch we were all served tamales with a side of vegetables.  Our drink was horchata.  I loved the tamales.  The had small diced carrots and potatoes mixed in along with beef and chicken.   They were delicious!

our Sunday lunch

After eating and visiting a short while longer we made the drive back home to Guatemala.  It had been a great weekend and we were very happy that we got to be a small part of such a wonderful service.  We are thankful for those who have put their faith in Christ.  How exciting!!!  Would you pray for these new believers?  Pray also for the many more in this area who have not yet made that decision.

Overnight in Copan

On Saturday afternoon we made a trip over to Copan, Honduras. We were scheduled to attend a baptismal service early Sunday morning and instead of getting up early and crossing the border we just made a last minute decision to go a day ahead and make a little fun out of it. We had not been to Copan since May and had not spent the night there since last December. 

We waited until after lunch to leave so the boys would sleep in the car on the drive over.  After checking into a hotel our first stop (as always) was Cafe Welches for some coffee and dessert.   It's one of my favorite places in town.

Watching the world pass by from the balcony of Cafe Welches in Copan, Honduras.  It overlooks the Central Park which is the center of town, and always busy.

Their carrot cake is by far my favorite dessert. 

my and my Cruzie Man  

I let him have some of the whip cream off of my Maya Frozen (frappe)

a little family snapshot before leaving the cafe

I took this before photo last December when we were there last.  The place we like to stay decided to put in a pool.  That makes it an extra incentive to want to stay there, ha.  Here is a little comparison. The whole right side is only knee deep so it's perfect for small kids.

The water was cool but that didn't stop the boys from jumping right in.  It was a great way for them to burn some energy.

he's a mess!

I call this collage "the many faces of Cruz".  He crawled into my lap and said "take our picture, mommy".  Every time I took one he would look at himself on the camera and start laughing and say "do it again!".  He's a funny boy!

We also took a little time to walk around town and visit a few shops.  We like to see if we can find food products that we don't get here in Guatemala.  We didn't have much luck on this trip but we did find a few things.  One of those was a Strawberry Crush.  Sometimes the simplest things can get us soo excited.  ha  We also bought a bag of Munchies chip mix (it has Doritos, pretzels, Sun Chips, and Cheetos in it).  We went back to the room, poured some in a big bowl, and all sat in the middle of the bed and had a "picnic" while watching Dora.  David and I enjoyed our Crush with it.  It was simple fun and our boys loved it!

 

It made me think of my favorite childhood soda- Nehi peach.  Oh how I wish I could find one of those!

Later that evening we went out for supper at Jim's Pizza.  It was delicious as always.  He had some live music playing, in English, and we all enjoyed listening to it.  It was great entertainment for the boys.  Here's a short video of Ben dancing to "Under the Boardwalk".   They had fun.

 

After some time of letting the boys run around the Central park bedtime was next on the agenda.  We had to get an early start on Sunday morning so we all needed some rest.  I don't know about the boys but mama and daddy were pooped.

I'll try to post about the baptisms tomorrow.