A quick hello!

Hi all,

Well, we are back in Tactic with our final team before returning to Canada for the month of August. It has been a crazy few weeks! This last team was from Duvall, Washington, and they were a lot of fun. They were so supportive and encouraging, I think we drew strength and energy from them. It was so great to be a part of what the Lord was doing in and through this group. Many of them spoke Spanish and it sure enabled them to interact with the people here to a greater degree than those who don't speak the language. Where often we use translators, like in children's ministry, this group spoke their message in Spanish. On their final day of children's ministry, more than 200 children showed up plus many adults. Wow! It was amazing. We asked the pastor of the church we were working in to address the kids and make a call for salvation and many of the children came forward. I know that not all who prayed to accept the Lord were sincere and probably a few had prayed the prayer before, but I know that some new souls were added to the Kingdom that afternoon and it was a huge blessing to be a part of that.

I don't always understand why the Lord chose to use us here in Guatemala, but I am sure thankful. Everyday I feel His hand upon us, guiding and directing us, one step at a time. Sometimes it is difficult and we are challenged to walk by faith, not by sight. Other times it is so natural and easy, because no other path makes any sense at all.

We are looking forward to touching base with some of you in August and hope to see you at our reporting night (Thursday, August 26th, Bible Truth Church @ 7pm).

Blessings,

Karren

Adversity

Adversity is something we all inevitably face. I know from personal experience, it never feels good and when it passes or is resolved, I am relieved. The Lord doesn't promise us a life free of adversity, but He does promise we will not walk through it alone. It is when adversity is at its greatest that we often see the hand of the Lord move in miraculous ways.

We are experiencing some adversity in the ministry here. Our school in Purulha has been under attack for some time. The mayor is disputing our property boundaries and has threatened to bulldoze down the school! The process of working towards resolution is long and arduous, but we are trusting the Lord. We know that the Kingdom has been advancing in Purulha and that has got to make the enemy angry. Hector David has been blessing that community as he serves as Director of the school. About a year ago, he started a cell group meeting for parents on Thursday nights. It grew so much that he needed help and so they changed the time to Sunday mornings and the group continues to grow. He has also started a soccer school for boys in the community. He is teaching about the Lord through the game of soccer. They have now entered into a league and have won every game they've played!

We are also experiencing some personal adversity and it is hard. It is difficult to know how to respond in the right manner. We want to be God honouring, yet sometimes it is a challenge to see what that actually looks like. We have to cling to the promises of the Lord, like that in Jeremiah 29 - "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future," declares the Lord.

As we walk the path the Lord has laid before we us we can do nothing but trust in Him and His plan. Please pray for the situation in Purulha as well as for our family and the challenges we face.

Bless you, Karren

You know you're in Guatemala when...

I love this country! I love the people, the atmosphere, the sights, smells (okay, not always the smells!) and tastes. One of my favourite activities is going to the market on Sunday mornings. We have church at 4pm on Sundays because many of our members work in the market and Sunday morning is the biggest market day of the week. People come down from all the mountain villages to sell their goods on Sunday morning and it is such a culturally rich experience to go and wander around, buying what you need for the upcoming week. This last Sunday, I met two women who really intrigued me. One, her photo to the right, was so friendly. She was sitting by the entrance into the indoor section to the market talking and greeting everyone who passed by. She was selling limes - a bag for 1 quetzal. She also had some herbs - most of which I still don't know what do use them for - and she seemed so happy to sit and be a part of the market.

The next woman I noticed was wearing a unique head covering and the style of her corte and guipil was quite different than the local, Tactic style. Based on her dress, I could tell she was from a mountain village where they speak Achi. She noticed me taking pictures in the market and she wanted her photo taken. She was so excited to "pose" for me and then giggled when I showed her the image on my view screen. Many of these woman do not have mirrors in their homes and they do not actually see their own image, other than a reflection in still water, so to see their photo is a huge deal.

The market is full of bananas right now and there are numerous types available. Everything from thick, chubby bananas, to red bananas, and even tiny pinkie finger sized bananas. We eat a lot of bananas here because they are delicious and cheap! You can buy 16 large bananas for the equivalent of 1 Canadian dollar. Food prices change from day to day depending on the amount of produce available. If there are lots of tomatoes in the market, then they are inexpensive, but if only two or three vendors have tomatoes, they can become quite expensive. Bananas, however, seem to grow well all year. Most homes have banana plants in their yards and they are an abundant fruit here.

Rocky and I sometimes joke with one another and list off some of the things we see that remind us, clearly, we are not in Canada. We say, "You know you're in Guatemala when..." Here are some of the things that are common sights here, but uncommon in Canada: 4-5 people riding on one motorcycle; passing on the highway with oncoming traffic; men carrying 12 foot lengths of lumber on their backs; guys transporting 100 pound propane tanks on the back of a peddle bike; cattle being herded down the main street (even in the Capital City); goats in the central park in Guatemala City so people can buy a cup of fresh, warm, frothy milk; buying molasses at the pet food shop and clothing dye at the pharmacy; guys are playing soccer in every possible spot where it is flat enough to make a field; vehicles with 4 huge bullhorns on the roof driving around town advertising what is happening that day; a sign in our only grocery store that reads, "don't try on the underware" and there is no changeroom; and the list goes on and on.

Life here is very different. We are blessed to be in Tactic and are so thankful that the Lord called us to serve Him and these people in this place. Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers. We know we are not in this alone and are grateful for family and friends who so generously partnered with us to make this a reality!

Blessings,

Karren

Please pray for us!

We leave today to pick up a team in the capital. For the next 4 1/2 weeks, we will be working 7 days a week for about 15 hours a day without a break! Please pray for our health and strength as we serve these next three teams.

A team is usually here for between 10 - 12 days. We pick them up in the capital (a 4-5 hour drive away), and bring them to Tactic the following day. Most of our days are divided into four different activities. We begin around 7:15am by attending one of our school's morning devotionals, which begin at 7:30am. Following that, the team heads out to whatever work project Rocky has going. Right now, most of the work is still focussed at Chijacorral, so the order of the morning is digging and moving dirt! Then, following lunch, we head out to do children's ministry. We have done children's ministry in all of our Vida school's already this year, so now we are going out to small churches and blessing them by providing a three day DVBS program. It is a great experience, both for the teams and the kids who come. On the afternoons we don't do DVBS, we are doing pastoral visits, home visits or hospital visitation. Then we are back to the guest housing for supper.

Rocky and I are responsible for purchasing breakfast food and guest house essentials, maintaining purified water at the guest house, and picking up lunch and supper from the Peter's home. Somehow, we have to work these extra activities in around the other events of the day. That usually means, while the team is showering after working or enjoying a 1/2 hour off to relax, we are busy running around town!

Two evenings we do cultural activities. The first is a night where we eat Churascos - BBQ Guatemalan style, blow off firecrackers, and then play soccer. The second evening, the team gets to experience making a traditional meal themselves. We take them to a mill and have corn ground into mush and they make their own Doblados and drink Arroz con Leche.

All other evenings, we do a "debrief." That consists of spending time in praise and worship, then talking about our day's experiences and the things the Lord is trying to teach us. This is a very rewarding time for us and for the teams. As we hear them share, one after the other, what was meaningful to them, what touched their heart, how they saw the Lord move, we are encouraged in our faith and in our role here. Their sharing also encourages their team. By the end of the trip, they are comfortable sharing their hearts and being vulnerable and open with each other. We always end the evening with a time of prayer and response to the Lord.

Then, Rocky and I go to our house, take care of whatever needs taking care of - laundry, etc - go to bed and wake up the next morning to do it all again!

On the third to last day, we travel to Antigua (6 hours away) for our last two nights. We spend time touring the old capital of Guatemala and learning some of its history. The team does the tourist thing and goes shopping - a highlight! During the evenings, we prepare teams for returning to their homes and discuss what challenges they may face. We also ask them to articulate what they believe the Lord is asking of them once they return home. Our last night is precious as we hold one another up in prayer and bless one another. Then, the following morning, we drop them off at the airport and wait for the next group to arrive that evening.

Our work here is amazing and we are truly blessed to serve the Lord in this capacity. It is, although physically taxing, and so we ask for your prayers.

Thank you for your ongoing encouragement and support,

Bless you,

Karren