Life Lately September 2024

  We began the month by hosting a medical mission team from The Church at LifePark in Mt. Pleasant, SC.   We had a fantastic week serving together!

 

 

Our family enjoying an afternoon coffee break after a day of working in the medical clinic with our team. 

 

Fall is my favorite season for decorating.  I was eager to get all of my stuff out and on display.  We do not have seasons here like we do in the States, but I decorate for them anyway.  Those beautiful fall colors just make me feel all warm and cozy.  I love fall most of all!

 

Ben attended a paintball birthday party for his friend Josue. We are very thankful for their sweet friendship.

 

Dressed and ready for battle!

 

 

We celebrated Guatemala's Independence Day on the fifteenth.

 

 

We officially welcomed the English family to our IMB Guatemala mission family on the nineteenth. They finished language school in Mexico and made the transition here to begin full time ministry.  Our whole team is overjoyed to have them here to serve alongside us.  Continue to pray for their adjustment to Guatemalan life and culture. So far they seem to be doing very well.

 

Our IMB Team Guatemala 

(minus David who was taking the photo)

 

 

After many months and phone calls, I finally got my dad's veteran plaque placed at the cemetery. His birth date is coming up in October and the one year anniversary of his death will be in November. I am happy to have this completed before those two events.   It was a huge relief and another big step towards closure for me.  

 

“When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure” – Unknown

 

I sure do miss my dad!

 

Homeschool is keeping me busy these days.  High School is not for the faint at heart. lol I do not take near as many school photos as I did in the past, and I miss having those photo memories.   Here are a few I quickly snapped of Cruz doing science experiments.

 

He is enjoying his biology class.  He will usually say it is his favorite subject this year. He loves hands on learning and has done several fun experiments so far.  In this experiment he was testing two different antacids to see which one was more effective at neutralizing acid.

 

In another experiment one of his steps was to add baking soda to vinegar to help understand carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect. 

 

 

Lastly, we ended the month with a weekend trip to Quetzaltenango to visit our Team Guatemala families. We went out to eat with the Stones on Friday night.

 

On Saturday we had our quarterly team meeting.  We met at a local restaurant that had an amazing outdoor space for the kids to run and play.  It was our first meeting with the English family joining us live. We had a great time of discussion and fellowship around the table.  Here is a photo of our whole group. 

 

Our IMB Team Guatemala

 

 

Our family in Quetzaltenango

 

 

That evening we enjoyed delivery pizza, homemade cookies, and some really great college football games.  

 

 

  

Life Lately November 2023

 Here is a glimpse of our family life during the month of November.

 

We began the month attending a regional Pastor's Conference near Tecpan.

 

During the meeting they elected officers for the upcoming year.

 

We watched a lot of SEC football during the month of November.  It is a favorite family activity.

 

A new shopping center opened in our town just down the road from our house.  We live in a very old, historic city.  Something like a modern shopping center does not really fit in well here, but we are definitely thankful for the conveniences it offers.

 

 

The day it opened we eagerly walked down to see it.  Here are David and the boys enjoying some ice cream from one of the kiosk vendors.

 

It is really beautiful!!

 

 

 

I made this video from our first visit there.  Not everything was opened yet, but many more businesses have been added since.

 

We had a visit from a former IMB MK and his son.  Lantz's parents faithfully served in this area years ago, and they had our house built.  They were the first family to live in it. Lantz had brought his son to Guatemala to show him around and introduce him to some of his favorite childhood places.  Getting to show him his old house was a highlight and we are glad we were able to help make that happen. We are now the fifth IMB family to live in the Antigua mission house. We love hearing the stories of the other families who lived here over the years.

 

Our family in November

 

We joined some friends for a night out at a wonderful outdoor dining area near Alotenango called El Predio.  

 

Cruz attended a birthday party for his friend Canon.  They went to a paintball facility in San Cristobal.

 

All geared up and ready to go!

 

 

Here is a video Cruz posted on his YouTube channel from his outing.

 

David and I enjoyed a few coffee and dessert dates.

 

 

 

Cruz participated in his first play with the Guatemala Academy of Performing Arts.

 

 

 We joined a few families for a night out at the Guatemala City Zoo.  Every year as a kickoff to the Christmas season, they open at night for some extra fun activities.  We love going every year. 

 

Here is a video I posted about it on our YouTube channel.

 

 

Ben went on a field trip with Encounter Academy.  They visited several museums and ruins around Antigua.

 

Both boys also did an eight week cooking unit at Encounter Academy.  They learned to make several delicious things.  Here is Cruz making a homemade apple pie.

 

We had a full month of homeschool.  Here is a Ben doing a science experiment.  He got to pull apart an owl pellet to see what he could find in it.  He loved this activity but his teacher, not so much. 

 

In case you are wondering what that entails, here is the description from his science book.   The owl pellet came in his science experiment kit that I had brought down from the States.

 

 

We watch a Charlie Brown video for several holidays.  David's mom collected the videos for us when the boys were small.  She has since passed away so watching them always reminds me of her. This year we watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on the Monday night before Thanksgiving because we had plans to travel for the holiday.  The video had just ended, and I was about to post this photo on Facebook when I got the call that my dad had passed away.  Now, when I watch this one in the years to come, I will probably think of my dad and David's mom.

I flew out the next day and spent the next week and a half in the U.S. with family.  My dad died suddenly from a heart attack.  It was a shock to everyone! His memorial service was on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  It has been a very difficult time for me.  I could still use your prayers as I grieve. 

 

I returned on December 1, just before midnight.  I had a very excited welcome crew to greet me when I landed.  We were all overjoyed to be reunited again!

 

Some other blog posts from November were of the Antigua Flower Festival, the Antigua Kite Festival, and how David and the boys spent Thanksgiving without me. 

 

 

I cannot believe this year is almost over!!!