Wow, it's been three weeks since I posted anything. We've been busy. As 'big brothers' to new missionaries, the Conners, we have been helping them get settled. They started language school on Monday and have survived the week!
Ken went out to Tajamulco (toward the Mexican border) because he was asked to speak at a church anniversary, but when he got there, they had another speaker! So... he just enjoyed being there, instead of having to speak.
We are getting ready for a work group to come down from Canada Feb. 17 - 29. I have been figuring out the menus, and then the grocery list. It takes time to figure out how much chicken, mayonnaise, tomatoes, onions, etc. etc. that you will need to feed 13-15 people for that long. Ken has been doing the planning for the group - what they will do, plans for the construction, prices of materials, buying doors for two classrooms and two bathrooms, etc. We are looking forward to seeing our friends from Canada!
The Intermission Conference here in Guatemala will be held Feb. 29-March 2. Ken and I are both on the 'finishing committee' for the conference. This year's speaker will be Dr. Steve Strauss, director of SIM (Serving In Missions). We've heard him at three other mission conferences in the States (at supporting churches of ours) and are really looking forward to the conference here. We have also been working hard on designing, printing, laminating, and cutting over 500 name tags for the conference. Nylon thread needed to be burned (instead of cutting it) and threaded through two holes cut in each tag. The thread was then tied so that the tag can hang around each person's neck. None of this was hard, just time consuming.
Tomorrow Ken is going with me to a birthday lunch for one of the ladies in my craft group. We are going to her week-end home an hour and a half away. The husbands of the group don't get together often, so this will be fun.
My friend, Ginita, who was hospitalized last month, is doing fine. We praise the Lord for her health.
Our daughter Jayme took a course last month (in Kentucky) where she made her own personal kayak. She wasn't able to finish it completely, but hopefully she'll have some extra time this semester to do it. Being a perfectionist, she added some extra beauty features to her kayak. When we have a finished picture, we'll let you see it. She started her spring semester classes on Wednesday and is again a TA in the wood's lab.
January 18, 2008, Praise the Lord!
This past week has been full. Ken has made three trips to Patzún. On Saturday I went with him, along with the Foote family. With some national brothers, they started working on the floors in the new classroom and the open, central area. The floors were finished on Wednesday. Praise the Lord!
Danny and the boys preparing the ground before pouring cement
Isaac helping Ken fix a wobbly table
The Coy family was gracious to provide lunch for all of us in their home. Praise the Lord for this family!
The Coys
Ministerios Alfa y Omega ended last year in the black! Praise the Lord!
Colegio Alfa y Omega started its new school year on Tues. There are 69-70 total students this year. That is quite an increase from last year's 35 students! Praise the Lord!
On Monday, my good friend from the craft group, Ginita, was hospitalized. She was confused. She didn't know where she was, that her daughter had moved to El Salvador (back in Feb.) nor who the president was. After several extensive tests, the doctors have determined that she probably had what we would call a "TIA" - a little mini stroke. I went Wed. night along with some of the other ladies from the craft group to visit her. She looked great and was talking and laughing with us. She was to come home from the hospital yesterday. Praise the Lord!
Zach was an intern in Patzún for 10 days. (He returned to the U.S. yesterday.) Ken brought him in from Patzún and I fed them lunch, before Zach left. He really enjoyed everyone and told Ken that his time in Patzún couldn't have been better! Praise the Lord!
Zach
Ken made another trip to Patzún today, but, Lord willing, will be back home in time for guests to come for supper. The Lord has kept him safe during all his trips out of the capital. Praise the Lord!
Danny and the boys preparing the ground before pouring cement
Isaac helping Ken fix a wobbly table
The Coy family was gracious to provide lunch for all of us in their home. Praise the Lord for this family!
The Coys
Ministerios Alfa y Omega ended last year in the black! Praise the Lord!
Colegio Alfa y Omega started its new school year on Tues. There are 69-70 total students this year. That is quite an increase from last year's 35 students! Praise the Lord!
On Monday, my good friend from the craft group, Ginita, was hospitalized. She was confused. She didn't know where she was, that her daughter had moved to El Salvador (back in Feb.) nor who the president was. After several extensive tests, the doctors have determined that she probably had what we would call a "TIA" - a little mini stroke. I went Wed. night along with some of the other ladies from the craft group to visit her. She looked great and was talking and laughing with us. She was to come home from the hospital yesterday. Praise the Lord!
Zach was an intern in Patzún for 10 days. (He returned to the U.S. yesterday.) Ken brought him in from Patzún and I fed them lunch, before Zach left. He really enjoyed everyone and told Ken that his time in Patzún couldn't have been better! Praise the Lord!
Zach
Ken made another trip to Patzún today, but, Lord willing, will be back home in time for guests to come for supper. The Lord has kept him safe during all his trips out of the capital. Praise the Lord!
January 8, 2008
We are greatly saddened today because a very dear friend of ours was killed in an accident yesterday. We have worked with Pastor Urbano Lorenzo from Tajamulco, Guatemala, for over 10 years. He called Ken a couple of weeks ago and personally invited us to their church's anniversary at the end of this month. He has been at the same church for 20 years. That is VERY unusual for Guatemala. He also traveled a lot being a pastor for quite a few other congregations. He was truly a servant. Would you please pray for Urbano's family? I know they must be really hurting right now. He left a wife and at least 5 children.
Ken took a new intern to Patzún yesterday afternoon and after he left, I got the call telling us about Urbano's home-going. Ken had to return home last night instead of going on to Tajamulco today from Patzun, because the car he was driving would not make it there on the harsh roads. He left this morning from home, driving the Trooper. He wants to be there for the funeral, and here in Guatemala, burials are within 24 hours. Please pray for safety for Ken.
January 1, 2008
Happy New Year - 2008!
We are starting another year in which to do our best to serve our Lord. Perhaps He will return for His own this year! Wouldn't that be WONDERFUL?Jayme left this morning to go back to school. Her winter, short-term class begins on Thurs., Jan. 3. She will be taking a class where she will be making her own 16 ft. kayak! How's that for fun? She had thought about staying home this January, but when she found out that the kayak class was going to be taught this year, she decided (along our encouragement) to go back for it. We are, of course, missing her today very much. Does it ever get any easier to have your kids leave?
We 'brought in the new year' last night (early this morning??) with some great Guatemalan friends, the Montes. (We went to their home on Christmas Eve too.) At midnight on Christmas Eve and again at midnight on New Year's Eve thousands of firecrackers and pretty fireworks are displayed throughout Guatemala. If you didn't know it, you would think you were in a war zone. The pretty fireworks have only been around for three or four years here. They are a welcomed sight. (Guatemalans light LARGE strings of firecrackers at once, making a long and loud set of bangs!)
Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day. A new CAM missionary family - the Conners - are arriving! They are from my home town of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In fact, Dr. John Conner has been the pastor of Memorial Bible Church (where my parent's attend) for the last 25 years. We are elated that they are going to be serving the Lord here in Guatemala.
December, 24, 2007
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
May the love of Christ be proclaimed this holiday season.
Because He came to earth, we can have eternal life!
Because He came to earth, we can have eternal life!
Ken and Jayme returned safely from their Pacaya climb. They were really excited to have been able to see lava close-up. (In one spot, it was about 5-6 ft. away!) It was incredibly hot in the area. Here are some great pictures. They roasted marshmallows over a hot spot (without the molten lava).
Here is another one - the real thing! We saw this lava river from our house the other night - glowing bright red.
And to prove that Ken was there...
These aren't your normal Christmas pictures, are they??? Oh well, that's life in Guatemala!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Jayme arrived home safely on Dec. 14, for the Christmas holidays!! We're having fun making Christmas cookies. So far we've made our traditional lebkuchen, date cookies, springerle and honey cookies. We hope to make mint fudge too.
Ken went to Patzún this afternoon for the Alfa & Omega board meeting, and Jayme went to a Christmas party given by some of her friends from our church here in the capital. I stayed home and finished baking the honey cookies along with doing other 'odds and ends.' At about 10:30 p.m. both got home and announced that Pacaya (the volcano south of Guatemala City) was acting up. We climbed our water tower in our backyard and saw the sight. (Quite a feat for me who doesn't like heights!) Here's a picture. If you look closely, you can see the main flow of lava is coming out of the side - not the top of the volcano. (There is a little red glow at the top.) Interesting. Jayme and Ken have plans to climb Pacaya this coming Saturday. At the moment, I don't know if this will change their plans or not. (No one has been able to climb to the top for a few years now, because of all the activity. ) Jayme was told this afternoon that people roast hot-dogs and marshmallows over the lava. Sounds scary to me!
I've also been making a few more Temari balls. (See Sept. 11's post) Here's one that is made with a different technique than most of the others I've made. The threads are wrapped instead of stitched. It was a little confusing at first, but once I got the pattern established, it wasn't too bad.
Ken went to Patzún this afternoon for the Alfa & Omega board meeting, and Jayme went to a Christmas party given by some of her friends from our church here in the capital. I stayed home and finished baking the honey cookies along with doing other 'odds and ends.' At about 10:30 p.m. both got home and announced that Pacaya (the volcano south of Guatemala City) was acting up. We climbed our water tower in our backyard and saw the sight. (Quite a feat for me who doesn't like heights!) Here's a picture. If you look closely, you can see the main flow of lava is coming out of the side - not the top of the volcano. (There is a little red glow at the top.) Interesting. Jayme and Ken have plans to climb Pacaya this coming Saturday. At the moment, I don't know if this will change their plans or not. (No one has been able to climb to the top for a few years now, because of all the activity. ) Jayme was told this afternoon that people roast hot-dogs and marshmallows over the lava. Sounds scary to me!
I've also been making a few more Temari balls. (See Sept. 11's post) Here's one that is made with a different technique than most of the others I've made. The threads are wrapped instead of stitched. It was a little confusing at first, but once I got the pattern established, it wasn't too bad.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Appreciation Lunch
Serving French fries
On Sunday (Dec. 2) Ken and I hosted an appreciation lunch for the Alfa & Omega board members and their families - in Patzún. 25 people attended. (One family wasn't able to come.) We served Pollo Campero (the Guatemalan answer to Kentucky Fried Chicken), the ever present tortillas, drinks and cakes that I had made. We had a great time with everyone. They are a great bunch of people.
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