Guatemala City

This has been a really busy week for us. We've had one mission team here from Idaho since last Wednesday the 10th. They left yesterday at 4 am...MERCY! It was a lot of fun, though, visiting with people from Idaho. I got a real sense of how they felt out on the mission field, even if they were only there 5 days. I think the poverty really affected the two teens in the group. Some of the team had been here before, so they were a bit more prepared.

The Canadian team came back from the field on Monday night. There were 11 of them, so all of a sudden we had 18 mission people to care for and pay attention to. (Yes, I know I ended that sentence with a preposition. It just didn't sound correct any other way!) They left in two waves yesterday morning.

Here's a pic of our first team, the one from Idaho.

On Monday morning, Bill and I were up at "O'dark thirty" as our director would say. Actually, it was 5:15 and we were gone by 6. We had an appointment in the city at 7 am, and we had to stop and pick up Randy (our director) first. It was interesting to see how early Guatemalans get up and get busy. The road didn't have too much traffic because it was a holiday of some kind. Something about Guatemala City's history, Randy said.  At any rate, we went to this huge Bible College called SETECA. I can't remember what Randy said it stood for now. We picked up Luis and his son. Luis was taking us to meet several pastors that might be candidates for the motorcycles that CMA gives away each year. CMA donates 20% of their only fundraiser to Missionary Ventures. Part of that money is used across the MVI network to provide transportation of different kinds to pastors so that they may better reach the people they serve.

Here are some pictures of Guatemala City. I'll tell you now, these are only a few of the pics, and I won't post any with recognizable people because that's just not fair to the Guatemalans.

The pics are pretty self-explanatory. This country is very poor, except for those who are into illegal issues and those who have made their fortune outside Guatemala and moved here. We're here to try to make a difference for these people.

Yes, I know there are those in need in the US too. I get that. But God didn't call us to be missionaries in the US, He called us to Guatemala. Here we are, and here we'll stay until He tells us to do something different. We covet your prayers, and we would ask that you consider being a financial partner for us. Pray, and listen. God will tell you what to do.

God Bless Y'all!

Lisa

We're calling this home.

We've been in San Lucas, Sacatepequez, Guatemala for 10 days. It feels like home. Sure, we miss our families, the dogs, diet Mtn. Dew...oh, I forgot. That's not good for me anyway, right?  We've been exploring on our own, as well as hosting our first team. They've been here since the 10th, and they even survived my cooking this weekend! Our second team has arrived as well, and both teams will be leaving on the 17th.

We attended a great church in Antigua Sunday. It was all bilingual...the pastor would speak in English, the translator would speak in Spanish. Even the songs had both English and Spanish on the overhead at the same time. It made it so much easier to follow. I think we'll go back there.

You know, for a Spanish culture, there sure are a lot of American things here. Wal-Mart, PriceSmart (they bought out Costco, but it runs on the same principle), Payless Shoes, Sears, Domino's, KFC, Burger King, McDonald's, and every type of vehicle you can imagine that you'd see in the States. Of course, vehicles have issues over here. The main issue is the road conditions. When you drive on roads that could have been put down 300 years ago, you know there's a problem. Antigua has cobblestone roads. Not brick, cobblestone. Think uneven, rough, slick....

Our two teams have been working with kids while they've been here. The team from Canada has been doing Vacation Bible School in some remote villages, while the team from Boise, Idaho (how blessed were we, to get a team from our home state in first?) has been down at The Tracks (an extremely poor section of Guatemala City) working with families there.

I know that a lot of you probably thought we were crazy to sell everything and move down here. All I can say is that I'm more convinced than ever that God led us here, and He's got work for us to do. Come pay us a visit, and I'll show you a world that is so far from what typical Americans experience that it hurts your heart.

We're asking again for financial and prayer partners. If God lays it on your heart for one or the other (preferably both!) please follow through. We are dependent on our financial partners to survive here. Thank you to all of you who so willingly gave of yourselves and continue to do so.

God Bless Y'all!

Lisa

Visas? We need visas?

And not the credit card either. :(  Apparently there are many hoops to jump through when applying for a resident visa here in Guatemala. Everything from getting a tourist visa first, then gathering everything from a background check to bank statements. To have a lawyer help, it will cost over $1,000 for both of us. Unfortunately, I don't believe we have that kind of money coming in.

We truly need a few more people to step up and help us. I HATE asking for money, but I don't see any other way around it. We will pray, and ask that all of you will pray too. Perhaps God will open doors for us. He's done it before, so I'll just trust that He is going to handle the details once again. I'll just ask that if He prompts you to assist us, please let us know.

God Bless Y'all!

Lisa

WE HAVE ARRIVED!

God is so good! We have settled in to our new apartment in San Lucas, Sacatapequez, Guatemala. We arrived with 10 bags, nothing missing and nothing damaged. Speaking of bags, we didn't pay a single thing for luggage, not even overweight fees, (yes, some of the bags were over 50 lbs.) because my sister blessed us with the tickets and we were booked as priority flyers.  That alone saved us over $400.

Our new apartment is very nice. Two bedrooms, 2 baths. The floors are all tiled, and we have windows all the way around. We're on the second floor, so I'll get lots of exercise on the stairs. :)

Our duties begin on Monday. We'll be working with vehicles, caring for the mission house and the teams that come in, and anything else that comes our way. We had our first excursion by ourselves today (remind me that I may not want to drive here...there are no rules!) and went to Paiz. In English, we went to a small WalMart.  Some things are in English, some in Spanish, and so we just went up and down the aisles, looking at everything. We managed to get to Paiz, and then home afterward. It was the first time we had been driving without someone in the vehicle, so I was watching carefully to make sure we didn't miss our turnoff. Thankfully, the major road (the Roosevelt) runs from Guatemala City way up beyond us, so as long as we can get back to it, we can get home.

Our first team arrives next Thursday. We are excited, and nervous. There are many things to remember...and I have to cook for them for the weekend. Whee....I'm thinking breakfast quiche, King Ranch Chicken, continental breakfast on Sunday, and then I'm not sure for dinner. Maybe spaghetti? I have to feed 12 people, so....

Some of the tv channels broadcast in English. Others are Spanish with subtitles. It's interesting, since I can read quite a bit of Spanish, but to speak it is a whole other story. We'll start on language lessons next week, I hope!

Signing off for now...

God Bless Y'all!

Lisa