One Year Update!

One year ago today we arrived in this beautiful country.  I have wondered for several days now how to tell you about this past year.  How to give you a year in review of sorts.  It is tough to boil it all down and describe all that has happened, however I will do my best to give you a sneak peek into our current life, the many facits that make up who we are now, how it is here in Guatemala, how life has changed us and how we are doing!

We have lived in 3 different homes, our kids have attended 2 different types of schools, and we have worked in one amazing village.

Our kids just finished their first week of Guatemalan school. This is a school where everyone’s first language is Spanish.  Classmates are learning English (because it is required here… isn’t that awesome? I wonder what the United States would be like if a second language were required in elementary school through graduation?)  Our kids are proving to be more resilient than I ever imagined, I laugh at my nievity to think I could stay one step ahead of them in learning Spanish… they speak and understand so much!  It is a beautiful thing, a dream come true.

Cecilia is growing into a beautiful young woman, however at almost 13 she is still a kid.  She was built for this life.  She is a missionary at heart, fearless when she asks someone if they know Jesus. My toughest job with her is to stay out of her giving and loving ways! As her mom I seek to find every way possible to support her visions and efforts as she navigates her life!  She is a "Chapina" (slang word for Guatemalan) at heart… sporting her Spanish like a local.

Gabriel is a dreamer… his 11year old  mind does not sit still.  He constantly figures out how to do something new and how the impossible is possible.  The kid has faith like I have never seen… now if he can learn the patience required to see the seeds he plants grow, he will be unstoppable.  He loves the Lord, he seeks the Lord and finds his heart interwoven with Gods.

Samuel is hungry!  Yes we feed him!  However at 10 he is always hungry… the boy is growing mentally, spiritually and physically!  He loves everyone and is willing to try anything new.  Trying new things comes in handy in this country! Samuel is brave.  Brave in his person and in the Lord.  He trust and believes the promises of God, He knows God has a future and a hope for him and he lives life accordingly!

Our marriage is stronger than ever.  I am reminded on a daily basis how blessed I am to have a husband who cares.  He cares to serve God first with his whole heart.  He cares deeply about his 4 children, where they are spiritually, mentally and physically.  He cares about me… he takes care of me.  We just celebrated 15 years with a hug, a kiss and a high 5.  It seems so simple and basic, but the truth is we celebrate our marriage often, we do not take a day or anniversary for granted, marriage takes work and we are thankful for each day we get to work at it.   

Our family is closer than ever!  Even though we are distant from our extended family, both sets of grandparents and our oldest daughter Demar has visited at least once this past year.  My dad came twice with my nephews, my mom is here for a two week stay as I write this and Demar will be here again in just 10 days!  It is comforting to have all of them so interested in our lives here.  Our immediate family of 5 is closer too… we have faced crazy odds this past year, navigating our moves, new schools, having less and serving others more.  Our family near and far has sacrificed so much, yet they never complain about the “loss”  because this life we have chosen has so much more to offer each of us!  George and I are amazed  at the love our children continue cultivate for each other.  We give them to God each morning, and each night we are reminded that His mercies are new again!

Our home is the third one we have lived in this year.  God immensely blessed us as we moved closer to El Rosario.  We now live in the cool mountains of San Lucas.  We are thankful for so much here.  Right now I am thankful for the fireplace as I sit typing under a blanket… it is cold and reminds George and I of our own childhoods in Colorado. This is not a flip the switch gas fire place, it is a "Gabe and Sam please go get some wood and carefully start a fire to warm this house up fire place!!" How awesome is that?  The yard is bigger than our last one, and beautiful with an orange tree.  Upon moving to Guatemala and until we moved here just 3 weeks ago, we thought our children would never get to play out in the front with friends again.  This small neighborhood of about 25 homes is packed with Guatemalan kids just our kids ages. Really it is something I never dreamt could exist here. Although this new home is wonderful… much more than we expected as we moved in, it still has its 3^rd world quirks.  I was washing our dishes in the pila just last week as the entire neighborhood ran out of water!  Internet is hit and miss… but that is ok, we are blessed!

Our ministry, oh my goodness, where do I begin? It is growing.  Ok honestly you need to go read George’s blog on it.  He has been so good at documenting everything that God is asking of us.  It is overwhelming when I sit and think of all that is going on.  However just last weekend I sat eating beans and tortillas with a group of kids in El Rosario, I was first wondering how long my simple Spanish would last me as I fed a sweet little boy his beans and banana, and then I realized that I can no longer imagine life without our friends in this beautiful community.  Our past is a dream and this is now our reality and our life.  These people, these families, these women, these children, we love them.  Our kids and I ache for the days we get to visit and love on them.  Each day George comes home we sit with eager anticipation for him share his day with us.  Who he met, who he held, who he prayed for and who God laid in his path for us to love!  Ministry is exciting, never ending and the reason we are here!

What are you most afraid of?

Two weeks ago  during a Sunday night dinner, I asked our kids a question: “What are you most afraid of tomorrow?”

Sam- “That they will laugh at me!” Tears welt in his eyes.

Gabriel- “That they will teach me dirty words in Spanish!”

Cecilia, she had a simple answer that summed the whole situation up in one word - “SCHOOL!”

I looked at Sam and said “Well Sam, the thing is they will laugh at you.” All three of the kids were shocked with my response, they expected a soothing reply!  “You know why? Because you will say something funny! It's ok, you are learning, and at times what you say will be funny, and they will laugh!”  Then we re-told the story of how the young girl in our neighborhood who is learning English was kicking pine-cones and when Cecilia asked what she was doing she responded “Nothing, just kicking pineapples!!”  What?  “pineapples??” Oh… pineapples and pinecones in Spanish are both PINA!  So pineapple made perfect sense in her Spanish speaking head… and no sense to our English ears!  We laughed… It was funny! “They will laugh , it will be funny!”

Next I said, “Gabriel they will teach you dirty words!” Again, he too gave me a shocked look! And I asked him “how many dirty words do you know in English?”  He smiled and said “probably all of them.”  “Really son, what is the difference? You get to make the right choice and not use them in Spanish too!”  With an understanding grin on his face he smirked out a “true!!”

And then, “Cecilia… we are all afraid of school!  It is a scary thing!”

The dinner conversation ended with an understanding that each of their fears were valid, and that in the end they would be ok!

 Our kids have been in the Guatemalan school system for just two weeks now.  I am taken back each day as the kids get home from school. One day it was because after Samuel and I spent a lot of time translating his math work sheet, realizing the literal Google translation was no help in understanding the concepts, we then asked 3 other people who know more Spanish than we do, only to find out the worksheet was asking my 10 year old to count by 2’s, 4’s, 5’s, and so on!!! Are you kidding me… all that to count by 2’s??  Although it was a math work sheet it was more valuable as a Spanish lesson!   On another day I laid with Cecilia as she was going to bed.  She told me about a friend back in Windsor who she would get so frustrated with at school.  She would get frustrated because the friend couldn’t do his work well.  She would patiently help the friend but tonight she admitted that she would also say in her head “Just read, just do it!”  and as she explained how she had felt with her friend she also shared how now she understood.  “mom, today in class… I could’nt do it.  I did’nt understand anything.  Everyone else was able to just easly do their work…  and I couldn’t!”  My heart broke for her.  She has learned and used more Spanish than any of the kids.  I take her into every store to make sure I understand what they are telling me… and this day at school she suffered.  Cecilia is bright, education has come easy to her!  My heart broke.  If she is overwhelmed and challenged, then how are the boys doing?  My heart broke! 

In all the frustration,  through the tired tears that flow from at least one of my kids each evening.  As we muddle through the homework every day.  I am amazed and thank God because they get up and eagerly go to school the next day!  They hop in the car at pick up with smiles on their faces!  Our kids are happy!  Our kids are healthy!  They are my heroes.  They are so brave, and amidst the challenges they love their new school!

 

#BestDecisionEver

I don’t really understand the reason for hash tags. However I do read them.  They often tell the rest of the story, or the heart of the story.  Today my hash tag is: #BestDecisionEver!

You know those books where at the end of the chapter you get to make a choice in how it will end? I was thinking about our lives as one of these books.  I played out the end of our last chapter in my head  “turn to page 58 if you think they moved to Guatemala!”  or “turn to page 104 if you think they stayed living their wonderful life in Windsor Colorado.” 

As you know one year ago we chose page 58.  #BestDecisionEver! 

I watch our three kids with the depth of growth they have received this past year!  I honestly cannot describe it!  They have each grown in a depth of life that is so worth every bit of trial.  They are strong, they are happy, they are healthy!  I cringe at the thought of what may have been on page 104.  In Gods mercy and grace we were bold and strong.  We chose page 58 and my heart and my mind swell with thanksgiving!