Starting Term Number 3

On Monday, June 30, we flew back to Guatemala to begin our third missionary term with the IMB.  In our mission we serve in terms.  Each term is usually 3-4 years and then you return to the States for a time of refreshing and renewal.  The time in the States varies from missionary to missionary depending on the length of your term and personal preference.  We took seven months this last time.

We are returning to the same work area and same people group although our job description has changed a little.  We are looking forward to getting settled back in and getting back into the mountainous areas making visits and contacts.  We have already spoken to our two contacts in the villages where we were working and they are anxious to see us.

We spent Tuesday buying some groceries and supplies.  We left our kitchen at home empty so I am having to restock it from scratch.  I wish I had written out my grocery list when I had more of a clear mind in the States instead of now when my brain feels like mush, ha.  We are trying to buy enough for the next week so that I won't have to get home and immediately return to the grocery store so we can eat.  We also got our cell phones up and running before we drive home.

We had plans to return to our home in Camotan Wednesday morning.  It's a four hour drive.  But, when we got out on Tuesday to run errands in the Capital we noticed the clutch in our vehicle was not working correctly.  We put it in the shop overnight and picked it up on Wednesday thinking it was fixed.  Well, it's not.  It will be going back to the shop and we will be taking an alternate vehicle back home for now.  Hopefully, we will be making that trip home on Thursday morning.  The only problem is we are not sure we can get all of our baggage squeezed into the other vehicle.  These are petty things, I know.  But it still causes frustration.

Once home we'll have a week to get our house set back up and our things unpacked before we return back to the Capital to leave on a ten day trip to the Dominican Republic. Busy days!

So, in the mean time, I'll leave you with a few photos I have taken over the last few days.  In spite of all I mentioned above we are all doing well.   We have felt the prayers of many!
 

 me and the boys on the flight from Jackson to Atlanta

The boys traveled well.  They both slept on the flights and gave us no trouble.  In spite of us all getting up at 3:30 a.m. we had a pretty good travel day back to Guatemala.

me and Cruz

Ben and David

Cruz was amazed with everything about flying this time.  He sat by the window on both flights and loved looking out.  At one point he looked out and said "mama, are we in heaven?".  I said, "no Cruz" and he responded "well, were are pretty tall".  ha  He told me many times "mama, this is awesome!"  And, he asked while pointing to the clouds, "mama, is that cotton candy?"  He is a funny boy.

We arrived with all our baggage- praise the Lord. 

Some of our mission family was at the airport to greet us and take us to our mission house in Guatemala City.  Once we arrived there we were surprised by a wonderful lunch meal they had prepared.  We all sat down to eat together and fellowship around the table.  It was lovely.

our welcome home lunch

Our first night back we had Pollo Campero delivered.  We have missed eating there! 

Our boys loved checking out the delivery motorcycle.

On Tuesday night we ate at Nais.  It was the first place we ate when we initially arrived in Guatemala back in 2006 so I have made it a tradition to eat there when we return for new terms.  Y'all know how I am, ha. 

our family eating supper at Nais in Guatemala City

And just for fun here is David and I at Nais on that first night in Guatemala- December 28, 2006.

 Oh boy, a lot sure has changed since then.  

We appreciate your prayers and ask for your continued prayers as we make the four hour drive home tomorrow (Thursday), get our house cleaned and back in order, unpack all our bags, and begin to find a new normal for our family.  Pray also for the kinks to get worked out with our vehicle.  We'll try to update again once we get back home and somewhat settled.  Cruz said many times in the States and has still said a few times since we have returned here "mama, when we get back to Guatemala...".  I have told him that we ARE back in Guatemala but he says "no we're not".  To him "Guatemala" is our home in Camotan.  I think we are all a little anxious to get home, settled, sleep in our own beds, and just get back to the life we left.  It was a life we loved and we look forward to more of it.