Wrapping Up

These past few weeks since we wrote last have been a roller coaster to say the least.  Moving out of our home of ten months in Jalapa, confronting our neighbour/cleaning lady about the theft of about $800 of items (more in particular the back up drive of our computers), saying goodbye to friends and business relationships, closing off projects, researching for future projects, and watching our family split and live apart for a short time to get our lives straightened in Guatemala and Canada.  However, the mission is far from over.

Working with Eddie
to fix up Casa Hogar

Working with the girls to build
community in Los Pinos.

What makes things difficult is seeing the emotional impact that has been made in through our service here.  Watching people like Eddie's family tear up when they think about us leaving  for the long term.  How the girls at Casa Hogar miss the contact of my kids and Mandy and appear heavy hearted.  Francisca (the oldest of our 'adopted' daughters) crying at the mention of the airport.  Seeing my children break into sobs as we pulled away from Casa Hogar for the last time as a complete family unit.

Max and his 'hermana' Darlin

Celebrating our cultures.

Transition is not always an easy thing.  I do look forward to coming back to Canada and live in my home culture close to family, friends and safe community.  There is satisfaction in the thought of working in an environment where I can express myself intelligently and have rich conversations with anybody that is willing to spend the time to do so. Not feeling condemned looks for my appearance, choice of faith practice or assumed wealth that I possess.  However, through this all my heart still burns for a group of people that need a beacon of hope in the name of God to walk with them.

Learning new skills
and having time to play.

Faith is strong here in Guatemala and admittedly our mission is not an evangelical one, but it is one of hope, love and trust.  Guatemalans have taught me to be more faithful in God because in many cases what else do you have other than your faith.  They also have taught me that community and relationship are critically important in getting by and making something of ourselves.
My prayer today is to continue to have strength in getting the message out about the needs in Guatemala and to have my community back in Canada walk patiently in faith that an impact can be made in serving the poor and neglected in the name of Christ. With a deep love to serve as Christ served, Amen.

Partnering with other missionaries
to help those in need.

a full house

 Quietness! I am soaking up these few minutes.  We have a house full this weekend and I love it! Our house has always had a revolving door and things are the same here in Guatemala.  The days are a surprise and we just don't know who will drop by.

Facility at Global Shores

This past month has brought about a lot of excitement.  We welcomed back our friend Kait who will be spending three months working with us at Casa Hogar.  A week later, we picked up mom and dad Wilson who will be joining us for the next two months.  Aside from the already full house, we have our four girls here every weekend visiting.  I am thankful for the extra helping hands to keep up with the house work and cooking.  I has been a joy watching mom and dad experience new things here.  I think they too are quickly learning how inconvenient life is here at times and how many luxuries we take for granted back home.  Our first stop upon Matt's parents' arrival was in the town of Antigua.  We spent a couple of days easing them into culture shock and exposure of the poverty in the country.  It gave us time as a family to catch up and relax.  A little disappointing for me, that the hotel we stayed at had no hot water and I was diagnosed with scabies.  It was actually an uncomfortable stay on so many levels, however I was happy to step out of Jalapa for a few days and have a much needed break.  On our way back home we stopped in to visit friends at another mission just outside of Antigua.  I have never in my life travelled up such a steep road.  I didn't dare look back as the truck chugged its way higher and higher up the mountain.  It was quite the adventure as it over heated and everyone had to get out and walk.  I was the lucky one who was in charge of getting it up the hill.  I felt like the little engine that could.  Matt and I were blown away by not only the structure of the facility but the staff and concept behind it.  It was another reason to get back in that truck and drive to Jalapa and do the work we so humbly do.  Instead of feeling defeated, it gave us hope.  We felt encouraged and inspired.  What I really loved the most was seeing a group of Canadians from a small town in Ontario coming together with a vision and working with the communtity in Guatemala to see BIG change.  It started with years of  building trust and relationship that has blossomed into something beautiful.  For more information, check out Global Shores in Guatemala.

We have started our kitchen renovations at Casa Hogar.  The first thing to come out was the drop ceiling. I was amazed to see the nuns and even the girls roll up their sleeves to get the job done.  It was literally "raining" cockroaches.  We hired a local friend who has worked at the orphanage before  and Eddie's brother in law to cement the ceiling.  As we have been praying, God is working.  Connections we made with people two years ago are surfacing every time we are here and we are thankful for all the help.  The tiles are coming tomorrow and the walls are being started.  Kait is busy working on kitchen hygiene protocol and we are developing a checklist to get things rolling once the kitchen is done.  My prison visits lately have been few and far between as others things are occupying my time.  However, I am going there tomorrow morning to cut hair again.  I am working on translating material for  a bible study that I hope to get up and running the beginning of March.

Matt had the opportunity to visit another missionary who flys into remote areas in Guatemala.  I think he was a little taken back when he showed up at the airport and had to help put the plane back together.
Apparently the brakes didn't work and after much thought, the winds were not worth the risk.  They ended up driving, which made for an adventure in itself. I am thankful for the opportunities to meet other missions and encourage each other in our journeys.  We can learn a lot from each other.

Dad has been busily learning spanish and tries to communicate every chance he gets.  We get a kick out of him trying to say "quetzal".  Mom is a HUGE help around the house, taking care of meals and laundry.  It frees up a lot of my time so I can focus on homeschooling and mission planning.  We have established more of a routine with the kids school and homeschool as well as the classes I teach at the orphanage.

Cleaning out the cupboards

Please continue to pray for strength and better health.  We have all been under the weather with a cold/virus that brought mom to the doctors.  She had quite a reaction to this bug and is on the mend now.  However, it has taken it's tole on all of us and we are tired.  Thank you!

Meet Max

Max with Eddie's son Oscar

Max posing with Louis and Eddie with their new hens

     Max is the oldest of our three children.  I love watching him develop into a independent, responsible young man.  His love for people and kindness is shown in every relationship he makes.  He is a gentle and sensitive soul.  Upon arriving here in Guatemala, Max decided he wanted to  raise chickens.  Farming is of great interest and Max's curiosity in raising animals has been a passion for awhile.  He is currently reading "Organic Farming" as a bed-time story. I think that says enough:) 

    Once we got settled into our home here,  the boys started planning and constructing a chicken coop.  Max decided he was going to raise meat chickens and once they were ready for butchering, we would donate the birds to Casa Hogar, thus providing some additional meat for their diet.  Leading up to Christmas, Max decided to package up two boxes containing 10 laying hens each for the two employees of Casa Hogar, Eddie and Louis.  Eddie and his wife and their four children live across the road from the orphanage (as seen in the photos below).  Loius and his new wife of just a month live down the road.  We were excited to be able to bless these families with what seems so small and insignificant in our minds yet so huge for them.

    Every 3 weeks, Max purchases a new batch of chicks and raises them until its time to butcher them.   The first round was a tough one for Max as he got attached to his "pets".  We reminded him of the great importance of his job  and that he could chose one out of the batch for a pet.  A couple days before Christmas, Matt, Max and Gabe, killed and de-feathered 16 chickens along with the girls at Casa Hogar that would be later used for their traditional tamales.  Without any reminders, Max is outside first thing in the morning taking his job seriously.  We are very proud of you Max!  Keep up the great work!