Prayer Request

Please pray for Stephen. He has had a fever (chills, headache, body aches) since Tuesday and we suspect he may have Dengue fever, although, so far, he hasn't had the typical rash.  Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus; there have been many cases this rainy season.  The alternate name for this virus is break-bone fever from the associated muscle and joint pain. Tomorrow, he will have a blood test to confirm. As the information below indicates, the only treatment is to manage the fever and pain.  We appreciate your prayers on his behalf.  I will update as I have more information.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002350/

Blogging in a time of busy-ness

I haven't been doing a very good job of blogging--things seem to be getting busier and busier here so there's very little time to sit down, reflect and write what's been going on.

So, you say, "What's going on?"

1.  Stephen is working in Lourdes (as previously mentioned.) This last week he only went on Monday and Friday.

2.  I'm back to teaching--lots of new lesson planning with 5th grade and, of course, paper grading.

3.  Stephen has band practice on Wednesday nights.

4.  We go to church on Thursday night and two services on Sunday.

5.  The church just started Level 2 discipleship called IDEM--in English, it means the Institute for Development of Ministry.  We meet every Tuesday night with a small group--the program is scheduled for 3 trimesters of 10 weeks each year for 3 years.  Yes, it's definitely a long-term commitment!

6.  Two Hilo, Agua and Biblia classes meet every other Saturday so there are always projects to ready.

7.  I am in the process of making curtains for the temporary sanctuary at Lourdes.  In fact, I need to move this up on the priority list because the curtains need to be up by this Saturday.

8.  Newsletter time is upon me again on Friday as is the schools celebration of "Day of the Child."

9.  We invited Nancy, one of our teachers from Antigua, to live with us for 6 weeks.  She arrived on September 23.  We are each trying to spend 15 hours studying Spanish with her.  Last week (our first), Stephen was able to get in 15, but I only got in 10.  Why?  See #11.

10.  The first campaign of the fall starts on Saturday with a team from South Carolina.

11.  Everything else like grocery shopping, cooking, eating, cleaning, washing clothes, paying bills, updating financial records and sleeping.

We're probably not busier than anyone else, but are definitely feeling the pinch of fitting everything in our days/weeks.  Please pray for us to keep the number one thing #1.  It's so easy to get caught up in the frenzy of daily life and forget that ministry is about a relationship with our Savior and not just a list of things to accomplish!  

Jon found it!

You know that stolen car of ours . . . . . our son and his friend just found it parked on a street in Santa Cruz. Police came and collected evidence and Jon is free to take the car. Right now the problem is that the gas tank is empty. Unbelievable miracle!

More on the formerly stolen car . . . . it had been gone 27 days. Missouri plates were switched for California plates; bike rack that was in the trunk was on the car (police said they did it because it blocked the back license plate.) Jon and his friend noticed the gray accord with the bike rack and so they stopped to take a closer look. The Lee's Summit Honda license plate mount was still on i

t. That sealed the deal for Jon; well, that and the fact that he had his keys with him and they unlocked it. The police removed 3-4 backpacks containing drug paraphernalia, as well as some receipts with names. The spare tire was gone (go figure,) and, as I mentioned earlier, there was absolutely no gas. The police speculate that "they" ran out of gas and abandoned it. We left a message for our insurance claim adjuster--guess they will just drop the offer they made us and we'll all get on down the road. We are pressing charges, so please pray that the police find them. Jon and his friend bought gas and he was able to drive it to his apartment--no problems with the engine! As of now he doesn't have any license plates at all, but the police gave him something to show any cop who may pull him over. Can't tell you how happy we are . . . . Jon has been riding his bike while we were all searching for a new vehicle. Everything we found was more expensive than the amount the insurance offered. Thank you, Lord, for caring about everything that happens in our lives--we love the way you worked everything out!

Working Hard in Lourdes

Jeff and Stephen are going to our church site in Lourdes every day and helping with the remodeling project.  Of course, it's more than just a little project and it definitely qualifies as hard labor.  Over the last two or three weeks they have been tearing down (by hand) the old nursery building to make way for a parking lot.  Last week they began construction of the concrete posts for the new entrance.  They are discovering new issues as they are working; for example, yesterday they realized that the poor drainage is, in part, due to the fact that the drain does not run "down hill" at all.  Instead, it maintains the same position for its entire length; therefore, when it rains, the water fills up the drain pipe, but has no impetus to move along.  All of this to say, that there are new items added to the list of things to do on a frequent basis.

Please pray for this work--as I mentioned, new needs keep cropping up and the project resources are already less than the projected cost.  Also, please pray for the safety of the workers, including Jeff and Stephen.

Here are some pictures of the progress so far.

Another "first" day of school

Unbelievably, I finished another "first" day of school.  If you just count the years I was teaching and/or working for the school district and not the years that I went to school myself, this was my 36th "first" day of school.  There's always a lot of last minute things to do and this year was no different.  I wasn't able to pick up my new books until last Friday and we had a very busy first weekend back in El Salvador.  Unfortunately, I wanted until Sunday evening to get started on my planning.  We had a giant storm and our power went out around 9:30 p.m. so that was it for the night.  I planned to get up early and print some handouts; I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and the power was back on so I thought I was in good shape.  However, the power went back off at 6:30 a.m. and was still off when I left for school at 8:45!

Instead of handouts, we had the typical "what did you do on your summer vacation" question and answer time.  This takes quite awhile because the kids have to try to answer the question in English.  They were happy to see pictures of what I did on my vacation, including shots from our time in Antigua and California.

Tonight . . . printing handouts!

Blackberry bushes and a walk

The six of us went to Picchetti Ranch and Open Space Preserve this morning.  Before the walk started we stopped at the blackberry bushes to see if we could reach any juicy, ripe blackberries.  It looked like the visitors of the past few days had reaped the benefits of the juicy fruit, but each of us were able to have a small snack before heading up the trail.

Climbing on trees, crossing wooden bridges and running down the hills couldn't have been more fun!  

Enjoy the pictures--I added one just to prove that Stephen was here with us!

Playing with the grandkids

We arrived Wednesday night, but everyone was sound asleep by the time we got to the house.  So, fun times with the grandkids started on Thursday morning.  One of Maleia's favorite things is to have me read books to her.  She's got such a great memory, that if I miss one word, she will correct me.  I can't even imagine how many books she has memorized.

Josiah is crawling, pulling up and can stand by himself.  He's so close to being ready to step out on his own.  We're hoping that we will still be here when he takes his first steps.  This time, he has decided that he likes Grandpa better than me.  Actually, Daniel and Shannon tell us that, in general, he likes men better than women.  I'm fine with it--what I'm not fine with is the fact that Stephen reminds me all day long that Josiah likes him better!!!!

Jon drove up from Santa Cruz this morning--we hadn't seen him since Christmas.  Maleia and Josiah were also glad to see "Uncle Jon."  We are planning to drive to Santa Cruz next week to see his new place, as well as the "shop" that he is working on with his friend, Noah.

It's quiet here right now.  Stephen and Jon went to see the Batman movie; Daniel and Shannon went out for a short run; Maleia and Josiah are asleep (and I'm hoping they stay that way.) 

Dancing Kids

Last week the team visited private schools in Guatemala.  Emily Rhoades, Steffie Contreras, Stephen Parris and I presented the Honesty lesson, testimony and gospel presentation in this 2nd grade classroom.  When we finished, the kids wanted to show us a dance routine that they were working on.  What fun!  Listen at the end and you can hear Stephen saying, "Increible!"

Dancing Kids in Guatemalan School

9 weeks later . . . . we're home

Home sweet home never felt so good.  After nine weeks in Guatemala, we're home!  The guards remembered us because they didn't hesitate to open the gate--although, it was probably the sticker on our truck.  It's so nice to be sitting on the couch (and not a bed) and to be the only one using the Internet!

However, "there's no rest for the weary."  I have to get started on laundry because we're packing up and heading to California on Wednesday.  In the meantime, I'm really going to enjoy my 4 days at home.

Last week in Antigua

Well, instead of writing a post for everyday this week titled, Last Monday in Antigua, etc. I settled for one post for the week.  It has been a week full of "lasts."  We've had a meal with everyone we know!

On Wednesday, we had dinner with Nancy (one of Stephen's teachers) and her family.  I am not kidding when I say that they live on the top of a mountain.  The road up to her house is incredibly steep and narrow.  In one part, the side mirror was touching the wall on the driver's side.  The view, however, is beautiful.  They told us that during November and December you can see Christmas lights up and down the mountain.

Today all six of us had a goodbye lunch at Pollo Campero and then came back to the house to open the farewell gifts and eat apple pie.  As usual, it's hard to say goodbye--but such is life.

Tonight we went to dinner with Jane, one of our fellow students.  She is a 15-year old from Boulder, CO, who has been here (alone) studying Spanish for 10 weeks.  She returns home on August 8.

We're almost all packed up; just have to load the truck in the morning.  We're anxious to get to the city in the morning to see the team from Abundant Life Baptist Church in Lee's Summit and the team from El Salvador. Tomorrow will be a great day for a reunion!  Please pray for the campaign this week; the first evening campaign is tomorrow night in a private neighborhood where one of the church members lives.  

 After dinner at Nancy's house--we had typical Guatemala food, including Chili Rellenos, frijoles and arroz con leche.

 All-american dessert to say good-bye to Antigua.  I'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed it.

Nancy, Siria, Aracely, me and Corina.  

Dinner with Jane at the restaurant at the Camino Real Hotel.  

Last Sunday in Antigua

We had a very busy final Sunday here in Antigua, although we spent most of the day in the city.  We picked up Nancy, Stephen's teacher, and her sister, Christina, at 8:15 Sunday morning.  Nancy went to church with us last Sunday and this weekend, her sister wanted to come along as well.  We arrived at the Biltmore Hotel for the service about 9:30.

As always, the music at Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva, Guatemala City, is uplifting.  I have really come to appreciate singing Christian music in Spanish.  My new favorite song from the worship service, "Tu Reinas" (You Reign)  is by Rojo, a Christian band from Mexico.  The music is beautiful and the words are amazing: telling us that Christ is the lamb and victor; he is seated on the throne and reigning with all authority.  Pastor Nelson has been preaching powerful messages from 1 Corinthians.  This week he preached from Chapter 3 and challenged the church (and us) to "grow up" and move beyond the "milk" of the word.

After church, we had the pleasure of taking the Rivas family (Pastor Nelson, Rosemarie and their 4 daughters), Nancy and Christina to lunch.  It was a great time of fellowship; and, as usual, Stephen had the girls laughing most of the time.

By the time we headed back to Antigua it was raining, which makes the drive even more difficult.  We dropped Nancy and Christina off about 5:00 and headed back to the house for a brief rest.  At 6:00 we drove to Jocotenango to pick up Siria, Stephen's other teacher, and her two boys, Louis and Alejandro.  Although we weren't very hungry, the boys helped us make quick work of a giant pizza.  Stephen and I both had to smile when Louis ordered a hot chocolate with his pizza and Alejandro ordered coffee with cream.

We finally made it home for the evening at 8:15!  It was a long day with lots of driving, but well worth the effort.

 The four girls--Daniella, Katerina, Fabiola, Camila (with a bandage on her head from a fall last week.)

 Nancy and Christina--you can definitely tell they are sisters.

 Pastor Nelson and Rosemarie

Siria, Louis and Alejandro after dinner.

Last Saturday in Antigua

Today, for our last "Saturday" in Antigua, I baked two loaves of zucchini bread* this morning and then we picked up 3 large pizzas from Dominos and headed to the town of Pastores, about 15 minutes north of Antigua.  We had lunch with the Valle family--we have loved getting to know them--Corina, one of my teachers, Jose, her husband, and their 4 beautiful daughters, Melanie, Andrea, Michele and Gabriela.  Stephen found time to teach the girls Cribbage, while Corina and I visited with her in-laws in the house next door.  

This picture is on the steps in their house.  Above them and to the right is their kitchen.  Corina cooks "camp style" over wood.  

This is their living room, dining room and bedroom.  There are 3 twin beds (for the family of 6); they rearrange them to make room for the tables you see.  There is one large free-standing piece of furniture which serves as their closet.

This is Clemencia, the girls' grandma.  She makes and sells tortillas Monday through Friday--she uses 20+ pounds of corn flour every day.  On the weekends, she makes tortillas and traditional Guatemalan food to sell on Sunday evening, including Chuchitos ( a typical type of Guatemalan tamale made using the same corn masa as a regular tamale but they are smaller, have a much firmer consistency and are wrapped in a tuzas, dried corn husks, instead of plantain leaves), Atol de Elote (a drink that typically includes masa (corn hominy flour), water, unrefined cane sugar, cinnamon and vanilla), Arroz con Chocolate (rice pudding with chocolate), enchiladas (flat tortillas layered with refried beans, meat, diced beets, carrots and topped with a slice of hard boiled egg), and Rellenitos de plátano (small balls of mashed plantains filled with sweetened black beans, fried and sprinkled with sugar.)  We stopped by last Sunday and I sampled the Atol de Elote and took some Rellenitos de Platano to go.


Today, Clemencia cut some of her beautiful roses to make a bouquet for me.  She is one of the sweetest women I have ever met.  She's always smiling and laughing even though she has a very hard life.

 We are excited to get back home to El Salvador, but it is going to be difficult to say goodbye to our new friends!


*Learned something new last night as I was searching for baking soda in the local grocery store.  Who'd a thought that in Antigua, baking soda is only sold in pharmacies because of it's "medicinal" uses.  

So much Spanish, so little time!

We're feeling the pressure of only 8 more days of classes; and, once again, we are convinced that learning this language will be a life-long process.  We have grown quite attached to our teachers, Araceley, Nancy, Corina and Siria.  I guess that talking for 3 hours a day for 7 weeks has that effect.  In addition, we've meet Corina's whole family and Siria's kids.  Last Sunday, Nancy made the trip to Guatemala City to go to church with us at Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva.

Please continue to pray for us as we wrap up our time here.

 Araceley and me--think this was the 2nd day of class.

 Nancy and Corina after a game of Spanish Scrabble with Stephen and me.

Corina and me in our usual shady spot in the afternoon.

Beautiful Place

Ever since we got to Antigua, Stephen had been wanting to find and visit "La Reunion."  It is a golf resort about 30 minutes from Antigua.  Down here you come to realize that maps, including Google's version, are not very reliable.  Anyway, we tried to find the place a couple of Saturdays ago, but ended up driving through the small town Cuidad Vieja (means Old City) on streets that were barely wide enough for our pickup.  During a two-block stretch, we were even going the wrong way on a one-way street.  At that point, we weren't trying to find the golf course anymore--just our way back to Antigua.

With more information in hand, we set out again last Sunday afternoon and after only a couple of wrong turns, we located the Highway 14.  Only here in Central America would the connecting "street" between the principal road coming out of Antigua and Highway 14, be a dirt road.  Anyway, we found the place and it was unbelievably beautiful. The Pete Dye golf course looks amazing (or so said Stephen) and the hotel (28 private suites) and restaurant are as nice as any upper-end Westin or Hyatt we've every seen.

I'm sure the pictures won't do it justice, but they're all we got.  From the vista at the hotel you can see 4 of Guatemala's volcanoes.  The largest one, named Agua (water), was covered by clouds like usual.  On a clear day they told us you can often see smoke coming from the volcano named Fuego (fire) which is still active.

At one point during the search, Stephen had wondered if the people that chose to build had just thrown a dart at the Guatemalan map or if there was a specific reason why they chose the spot.  I'm pretty sure we know the answer now.  It was too late to go to the driving range and Stephen doesn't have any clubs with him.  Plus, we're pretty sure that there's no way we can afford the place, but, as I said, there's no denying that it's beautiful.  Even though the buildings were beautiful, God's handiwork was more than amazing.  Enjoy the pictures!

Happy Birthday to Me

Celebrated a "big" one this year in Antigua!  The day started with gifts from our teachers--a dozen roses from Siria, a loaf of almond fruit bread from Araceley, and two hand-made cards.  The gifts are so special because we know that neither one of these single moms have the money to spare.  My birthday cake was a slice of cheesecake with a candle so it was much easier to blow out than a cake filled with ___ candles.  (Can't bring myself to write/say the number.)   Learned a new and difficult Spanish verb conjugation today and the teachers didn't go easy on me--still gave me homework!  


Spent the early evening talking with my boys and chatting with friends on Facebook.  I know many people are not Facebook fans, but it is great tool for missionaries to keep up with family and friends!

Finished off the evening with bruschetta and our favorite pizza.  All in all a great birthday!

 With Siria and Araceley.

 My birthday cheesecake, complete with my very own candle.

With Nancy and Corina.