Getting ready for Bearspaw!

Hi everyone,

It is amazing how much computer work I am doing here. Rocky is away this morning at one of the schools, checking on the well they are digging. The girls are both at Chijacorral teaching English and I am sitting at the computer trying to get all the last minute adjustments made for the Bearspaw team which arrives on Thursday. They are a unique team in that they are really 3 teams in one. There are 43 people coming and we will be working with two student teams and a medical clinic. It is a challenge to be sure you have enough translators and vehicles to get everyone going where they need to go when they need to get there. I am sure, although, that this group will be a huge blessing.

The medical clinic is going to take place in Purulha at one of our schools. The mayor of Purulha has been giving us a real hard time lately and we are praying that by providing a medical clinic for his community, he will see that we only desire to bless them. The property where the school is built was given to the Ministry by the previous mayor. He saw the need for a school in his community and saw what we were doing in other villages and wanted the same for his people. The property was surveyed and we built our school. Now, the current mayor is accusing us of extending our building past the property line. We have had a survey done and we are well within the property lines, but this mayor is not backing down.

Prayerfully, by giving back to the community with a medical clinic and continue to serve the families and children who are a part of our school, the mayor's heart will soften. If you could pray to this end, we would sure appreciate it.

Blessings,

Karren

Climbing Pacaya

Wow! What a cazy adventure. Rocky and I had talked about climbing Pacaya for some time, but we never seemed to get around to it. Well all that changed on Wednesday. We dropped the KCS team off at the airport on Tuesday and went back to Antigua for 2 extra days. We spent the remainder of Tuesday walking around town and seeing all the ruins we never seemed to have time to look at before. It was amazing. Then on Wednesday morning, bright and early, we got picked up at our hotel and drove for about 1 hour to the base of Pacaya, an active volcano just outside of Antigua. From there we rode on horse back for an hour and then we hit the bottom of the first hardened lava flow. I had no idea what to expect and it was much larger than I ever imagined. In the photo with Arryn and Hope standing on grass beside a hardened, black lava flow, you can see how huge the mountain is and it is completely covered with lava. At some point and time, flows have come out on all sides of this mountain and literally covered its surface with lava. From the point where this picture was taken, we hiked up for 1 1/2 hours before we found the spot where lava was flowing that day. The further up we hiked, the more amazing the view and the more crusty and sharp edged, the lava became. After about an hour, we could feel the heat through the surface of the crusty rock. The more recent flows were sparkly and almost crystal like, where as the older flows were more dull. The hillside became so steep, I was afraid I'd lose my footing and fall backwards. Arryn did trip at one point and cut up her hand, but she kept going. Where he lava was flowing out of the side of the hill, it was hot enough to roast marshmallows - not on the lava, just on the rocks around the lava flow! I don't know if I'd ever want to make the climb again, but I am sure glad we did. Not only was it amazing from a geological point of view, but also from a spiritual perspective. The Bible tells us that all we have to do is open our eyes to see the Lord and his handiwork. On Wednesday, I marvelled at His creation and power. I would never, in my wildest imaginings, come up with something like this volcano, yet, it is just one of many wonders that the Lord created to reveal Himself to us. I know that in my own life, sometimes things happen that don't seem right and I can't understand. I try with my own, finite mind to make sense of it, but logic seems to allude me. At times like that, I remember that God's ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts. He is so much bigger, more creative and more knowledgeable than me and I can, in confidence, place my trust...my life in His hands. Pacaya was amazing, but my God is even more amazing and walking out this life hand in hand with Him is an adventure of a lifetime! Blessings, Karren

Blessings!

We have really been enjoying the KCS team. They are such a nice bunch and have been great to work with. Today they hauled sand in sacs down a ravine and across a stream to two orphane's home. Carlos and Dilia were orphaned over a year ago and someone donated money for a cement floor for their little shack. Because of its remote location, although, you cannot drive to the house and have to carry all the supplies in by hand. The long way would have been a 20 minute walk one way and Rocky thought that was too much, so he found a short cut across a creek! Wow! The team worked so hard - they also got soaked!

This afternoon we hiked the hills of San Antonio and were able to visit a number of children in their homes, including our little girl, Anayeli (see the photo). What a blessing to be able to actually visit your sponsor child and see how they are growing and maturing. Anayeli is doing great! She has accepted the Lord as her Saviour and we spent time together yesterday worshipping the Lord. Today we visited her at home and prayed for her, her brother and her mom. Her dad doesn't live with them and her mom works at a bar in Tactic and doesn't always come home at night. Anayeli is turing 9 this Friday and her little brother is 7. They are fortunate that their grandma and auntie live on the same property and so they are not all alone when their mom doesn't come home. Their home is no larger than our bedroom and is made of wooden slats with big gapping holes between the pieces of wood. They have a dirt floor, yet, she is clean and dressed up in her best clothes for our visit! She is an amazing little girl!

Karren

Traditional Clothing

The girls decided to wear guipils [wee peel] and cortes [cour tay] to church yesterday. They borrowed them from a lady in the church. It was quite a "to do" to get cinched up and all tucked in properly. They really looked great!

The KCS team is here and we are just home for lunch before going up to San Antonio for children's ministry this afternoon. I just wanted to post a new family picture and one of the girls in their traditional dresses.

Blessings,

Karren