January 11, 2010

We arrived back home in Guatemala around 11:00 p.m., Dec. 31. A new intern, Sarah, came with us. She will be living with us and teaching English in Patzun for the next 10 months. We brought our suitcases in the house, then left to attend the last few minutes of a New Year's Eve party with fellow missionaries. We wanted Sarah to witness the fireworks that happen at midnight. (Much more than in the States.) The last several years, the fireworks have gotten pretty. When we first came to Guatemala 19 1/2 yrs. ago, the fireworks consisted of just noise! It sounded like a war had broken out. Now, at least, the sky is pretty. (There is still a lot of smoke in the air though.)

Sarah

On Saturday, Jan. 2, Ken and Sarah, along with another missionary and his adult daughter, who was visiting, climbed Pacaya - the volcano south of Guatemala City. They were able to get within 3 or 4 feet of a lava flow! They roasted hot dogs over hot rocks! It was a first for Sarah!

Since getting back from the States, we've been to Patzun twice, and Ken has been another time, plus Panajachel. Yesterday we showed Sarah Patzun's Sunday market (biggest market of the week). It was quite the CE (Cultural Experience) for her. She said she wouldn't complain about Wal-Mart being busy ever again!

The Kakchiquel radio station is progressing in their move. They have the new tower up as you saw in an earlier post. Construction has begun on the guard's two rooms, and the room for the transmitter. The radio committee is doing a great job.

Guard's two rooms and transmitter room

Ministerios Alfa y Omega has a new board. They all seem to be very willing and ready to work to seek God's will and to do it. We just found out last night that Guatemalan government has decided that school will start Jan. 18. That means we need to move into our two rooms (one for us and one for Sarah) at Alfa soon! It will definitely be a challenge to live there, but we'll enjoy being closer to the people. We'll need your prayers.

We also need to find a guard/gardener for our house in the capital. Please pray that we will find someone who is honest and hard working soon.

December 24, 2009 - Transported to Heaven

This evening at 5:44 p.m. my (Cindy's) Daddy was transported to heaven. He will spend Christmas with Jesus this year! My mother and all of my siblings (There are five of us.) were able to be at his bedside when he was taken to glory. We miss him so very much already, but cannot begrudge him heaven.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to take care of Daddy during his illness. It was truly an honor. We look forward to the day when we, his family, will be reunited with him in Your presence.

December 31, 2009 - New Grandson!!!

Nathanael Clifton Kemp was born today at 12:13 p.m. (EST) to Erin and Scott. Nathanael weighed in at 8 lbs., 3 oz. and is 21 inches long. He is our 5th grandchild (4th grandson). (Clifton is Ken's father's first name.)

Welcome to our family, Nathanael. We love you!

Unfortunately, we won't be able to see Nathanael for a while. We found out about his birth while we were in the Dallas airport - waiting for the flight to get back to Guatemala.

with big brothers Isaiah and Josiah

December 19, 2009

Jayme and James married today!!!

The wedding was beautiful and honoring to the Lord.

Erin was her sister's matron of honor. We are so thankful that she was able to make it to the wedding since she is 8 months pregnant! James' sister Martha is standing besides Erin and Jayme's roommate Julie is on the right.

The pastor, James, Davey (James' brother) Jacob and Drew (Jayme's brother)

Flower girl, Rosie (James' niece) and Ring-bearer, Evan (Jayme's nephew)
They took their jobs seriously!

Beautiful Bride, Proud Papa!

I do!

Thanking his parents.

Thanking us.

Ken sang, "Find Us Faithful".
(Erin was able to sit down for a few minutes.)

The Bride's Cake
Each layer was a different flavor;
(Carrot, Lemon poppy seed and White sour cream cake with raspberry filling)

The Lord answered a lot prayers for the cakes.
I made both the bride's and groom's cakes.
My mother is the cake decorator, but she was unable to attend, because of my father being ill.

Cutting the cake

The Groom's Cake
(Yummy chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream icing and Heath bars)

Eating the groom's cake

The Cake Cutters
Jayme's aunt and cousins

The ladies of the church provided the yummy food for the reception!

Concrete evidence!
(They had two rolls of plastic wrap going opposite directions.)

Jayme's brother Kyle got into the act too.

Both James and Jayme came prepared with pocket knives to cut the plastic wrap!
How many brides do you know who pack a knife in their wedding shoe?

Don't know why he didn't want to leave the balloons in the car.

My sister Susie came early from Alabama and helped a LOT with the decorations, flowers, etc. Her family and Ken's brother Karl and his family were life-savers with last minute details.

Proud Parents

The couple spent their honeymoon in Barbados.
James kept the destination a secret from Jayme until after the wedding!

December 14, 2009

Again, obviously I haven't been able to post anything for a long time. I flew back up to Tulsa in early October to stay with my parents. Daddy seemed to be getting better, although I had to take him to the emergency room twice during the couple of weeks I was there alone. Ken joined me in mid October. We attended a mission conference and packed more things. Then on Nov. 1, we drove Mother and Daddy to Alabama to live with my youngest sister, Becky and her husband. Ken and I returned to Tulsa to paint Daddy's office and to clean out the garage. (We were able to finish the painting, and Ken did a great job on the garage, but wasn't able to completely clean it out.) Daddy wasn't doing well, so we headed back to Alabama a few days earlier than expected. After several doctor's appointments and test, the doctor has decided that Daddy has pancreatic cancer. He is now at home at Becky's. We thank the Lord that my siblings have been able to all be in Alabama to help with Daddy's care, and to support Mother.

Ken and I drove up to Kentucky last weekend to attend a wedding shower for Jayme and James, given by their church. (The first shower we've been able to attend for any of our kids.) We then returned to Alabama until this Saturday when we drove back to Berea. Yesterday afternoon, Jayme graduated from Berea College! Her degree is a Bachelor of Science in Technology and Industrial Arts with a double minor in Spanish and Business. She graduated with honors! We are very proud of her. Although the graduation ceremony was yesterday, she still has finals this week. (Strange, isn't it?) She had a paper due today, and has a final tomorrow and another one on Wed. (Drew, Rachel and kids went to the graduation too. My picture of the whole family didn't turn out well.)


In Alabama, I baked the bride's and groom's wedding cakes and froze them. Tomorrow evening I will get them out of the freezer so that on Wed., I can begin to decorate them. (My mother is actually the cake decorator, but since Daddy is so ill, she isn't able to come to the wedding. So...I'm doing the cakes.)

The radio station in Patzun has a new tower!!! We received these pictures today. How exciting that they will be able to transmit the Good News further away.

Sept. 18, 2009

So sorry we haven't written anything for so long. We've been super busy. I (Cindy) was in Tulsa for three extra weeks in June and July to help my parents. My sister Becky and I took turns spending every other night at the hospital with Daddy. When Becky wasn't there, brother Kris took his turns. All my siblings have been there when they could be. (There are five of us.) We packed up most of the house, painted, worked in the yard and fixed things that needed to be fixed. Daddy came home from the hospital on July 14 - his 84th birthday. He has had to make several trips back to the emergency room since then, so we covet your prayers for him and for us as we try to care for him. I will head back to Tulsa in early October to 'take my turn' at staying with Mother and Daddy. We are still planning on moving them to Alabama to live with Becky and her husband. If Daddy can make the trip, Ken and I hope to drive them there in early November.

I flew back to Guatemala on July 13. We had a team coming on the 17th and I needed to be home to make the menus, grocery list and then buy the food - a time consuming job. We had four teams come in July and August - with some teams overlapping others. It was a busy time. One team went to the local public schools and taught Bible stories there. All the teams worked at Alfa Y Omega.

A young couple, Micah and Kerri, came to help us for the month of August in Patzun. We enjoyed having them here and they helped with the internet connection, painting the roof, and the website for the Guatemala Intermissions conference.

On August 15, I flew back up to the States to make a wedding dress for our daughter Jayme. She and James Miller will be married on Dec. 19! I was able to first fly to Alabama to see our newest grandchild - our first granddaughter - Rebekah Anne, born to Drew and Rachel. I was only able to spend a little over 24 hours there, then flew on to Kentucky. Jayme and I shopped for more supplies for the wedding dress, then drove back to Alabama, to make the dress. My sister Becky let us use her machines and was also a BIG help in making the dress. Praise the Lord, it's finished!

I arrived back in Guatemala the evening of Saturday, Sept. 5. Earlier that day, another young couple (Josh and Megan) arrived in Guate. to stay with us and to see the work in Patzun. (They will attend CAM's candidate school in Oct.) On Wed., Sept. 9, another couple (good friends of ours from St. Louis area) came down to help with the new construction at CAM's retreat center, Las Buenas Nuevas, in Panajachel. (Ken is in charge of the construction.)

June 26, 2009

Ken is back in Guatemala; however, Cindy needed to stay in Tulsa and continue helping her parents pack and get their house ready to sell. (They plan to move to Alabama to live with Cindy's youngest sister who is moving there this summer.) There was room for only one person on the plane going back to Guatemala, so we felt that Ken should be the one to go. We see the hand of God in this, because Cindy's father went into the hospital this past Tues. with an inflamed pancreas and a gallstone lodged in the bile duct. He is scheduled to have surgery on Monday, (June 29) to remove the gallbladder and a growth from the pancreas. We covet your prayers for him.

We had a wonderful time in the US. Kyle and Ashleigh's wedding was beautiful and everything went well; even the weather was pleasant. On June 2, we arrived in Tulsa for Cindy to help her mother with a wedding cake, cleaning, and packing. We made a quick trip to Huntsville, AL (to take things we've had stored in Tulsa) to store at Drew's, and to attend a lunch for a work team that will be coming to Guatemala (Calvary Bible Church). Then it was back to Tulsa, and on to Tahlequah to pick up Ken's parents and take them to Lake St. Louis, MO, to a family reunion at Ken's brother Keith's home. We had a great time with all but three of the C. E. Spaugh family attending. (Kyle and Ashleigh weren't able to attend, nor was the son of Ken's brother Karl.)


Since returning to Guatemala, Ken has been to Las Buenas Nuevas and Patzun. There is now a crop of lettuce growing at Alfa y Omega. Praise the Lord!


The construction for the new building at Las Buenas Nuevas is coming along well. The roof is poured and the plastering of the walls is in progress.

I (Ken) was going to post some more pictures, but for some reason, the site won't let me at the present time. I just wanted to post something to let you know that we are still alive!