A Typical Morning

Rocky and I are really just in the orientation stage of our work with Mission2Guatemala in the northern highlands of Guatemala.  We are so blessed to be a part of this work. 
The town of Chisec was completely obliterated during the civil war.  It was literally burned to the ground.  They were right in the middle of the conflict between the army and the guerilla soldiers, and although many were innocent, they were wiped out.  The town you see now, is relatively new - about 15 years old.  The streets are all well laid out and wide enough for two lanes of vehicles, but there is little in the way of infrastructure and services.  Water is an issue here, and in the town, there is only water every other day.  Most villages do not have water systems and simply haul water from the nearest available stream.  The needs are overwhelming. 
Everyday people are at our gate, coming to make petitions for help.

 
Yesterday three different groups of people came to present their needs to the ministry for consideration. 
Group #1:  A pastor and one of the eleders from a church in Chisec came to ask for help in purchasing the tin roofing material for their church building.  It had taken them two years to build the church and they were very pleased to share with us that they had not borrowed any money to get it done.  Now all they needed was the lamina (tin roofing material) to put on the roof and they'd be done. 
Group #2:  4 workers from the Center of Health in Chisec came to share a report with Cindy of how they used the gifts of baby clothes and blankets they had received from Mission2Guatemala.  As they shared with us the stories of how the pregnant ladies in the villages surrounding Chisec received the prenatal classes, you could see the gratitude on their faces. 
Then, one of the ladies share how they had lost one mom just this past weekend.  She gave birth at home and shortly after delivering, she bled out.  She left behind a newborn little girl and a 3 year old as well as her husband.  Because of the lack of work in this area, most men work far from home, so the grandma will have to assume the responsibility of caring for the children.  This family is desperately poor and cannot afford to buy the formula that the baby needs to survive.  The Health workers expressed how frustrating it was that the government gave them no money to help a family like this. 
They also shared with us the frustration of working in the area of malnutrition.  Again, they are supposed to run this program, but are not given any funds to do it!  So, they go from business to business, asking for donations so they can distribute food to the children who are malnurished.  50% of the children in this area suffer from malnutrition, so the need is huge.  The frustrating part of the work is when they return to the homes where they have given food, and they often discover the condition of the child has not improved and the food is being given to the chickens.  The moms say, "My child doesn't like the food you gave us and they won't eat it."  When the workers try to tell them that they cannot give the child a choice or they will die, the moms respons, "well if they die, they die. I guess that is God's will." 
Group #3:  Four people from a church came to ask for help with a cement floor for their church.  Again, they were able to do the majority of the construction on their own, but now needed some help with the last part.  When the young man, who was leading the group, finished  talking about the church, he asked if he could present another need.  Cindy responded, "of course."  Then he told us how his dad, the former pastor of the church, had been killed four in one of the villages where he worked.  The past four years had been tough for the family and now the youngest child was wanting to attend Senior High School (quite an accomplishment here), but they couldn't afford to send him.  In Senior High, the kids take a career and most of these schools are private, so you have to pay tuition.  He wanted to know if the ministry ever gave out scholarships or helped kids with school. 
Three different groups of people, all with needs, all in one morning.  We listened to their presentations, asked a few questions and then prayed.  Then, after they left, Manny, Cindy, Rocky and I discussed if we could help each group and if yes, how that would work. 
This is a typical morning at Mission2Guatemala.
We so appreciate your prayers as we learn and transition into this new ministry.  It is our heart to be a blessing to Manny & Cindy and to be able to help the local people in a way that affects eternity! 
Blessings!   
   

Half a Century Old...Oh Man!

Tomorrow, I turn 50...half a century!  For those of you who have already passed this threshold, perhaps you, too, pondered what you accomplished with your first half a century.  Cindy and I are working through a Bible study on Ecclesiastes - maybe that has added to my pondering!  However, as I sit here and think about the past 50 years, my prayer is that the next 10 will be more productive, in terms of the Kingdom, than my first 50! 
Don't get me wrong, I have been blessed and I am in no way saying I have not enjoyed and appreciated all that the Lord has enabled me to experience over the past 50 years.  My husband loves me; he is my best friend.  My parents are the best parents I could have asked for and, praise the Lord, are still alive and well and an important part of my life.  My children are a blessing to me and I am proud of the adults they have become.  My sister and her family are amazing and my extended family on Rocky's side have added richness to my life.  I enjoyed a wonderful career as a teacher and principal and count it an honour to have worked with and for some pretty amazing people.  God has surrounded me with people who know and love Him and this has been simply incredible. 
But, as strange as it sounds, I feel like my first 50 years have just been a training ground for what is happening now. 
Today, as I ate lunch with a pastor in a small village, I really felt like this is what God made me for.  It has taken me a long time to get here, but perhaps I wouldn't have been ready anytime sooner.  I am so incredibly humbled and blessed to serve the Lord and His purposes in Guatemala.  Thank you, God, for taking your time with me and preparing me for the calling you placed on my life and allowing me to be Your hands and feet at this time in my life.  As I embark on this next stage in life, I am excited to to see how the Lord will work in me and through me!   

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

 Yesterday when I blogged, our connection was too weak to add photos.  So, tonight we are back in Coban for night and have a strong enough signal that I can show you a few photos of our first couple of days in Chisec. 
On Thursday, Cindy and I visited two of the three schools where we are going to begin our sponsorship/support program.  This school is in the area of Chisec called Nazareth.  The pink building is a block building with 3 classrooms and an office.  Across the street are the two outhouses and an additional 3 classrooms in the red wooden building.  These 6 classrooms house about 230 - 240 students which is about 40 students per class. 

These next few photos are of the Mission2Guatemala mission site.  This first one is of the guest housing complex where we will be living until our temporary studio apartment is completed.  That should be around Christmas.  We will be looking at three stages to our housing before we get settled into a more permanent house. 

This is the entrance gate to the mission site.  The piece of property is about 50 acres and is loaded with tropical vegetation.  It is hot and humid in Chisec and so you simply have to stick a cut flower in the ground and it will sprout roots and grow.  It is a very lush place. 

This is a view of the walkway to our room.  There is a patio off the end and this morning I had my cup of coffee outside and watched/listened to the toucans in the trees.  They looked just like the Froot Loops bird!  I couldn't believe it!

 

Across the property is Manny and Cindy's home.  Our apartment is currently being built onto the far right of this building and after we no longer need it, it will be used to house Guatemalan workers. 

This is picture gives you an idea of how big the kitchen/dinning room and guesthouse complex is.  They can comfortably house 30 in the 9 rooms.                                                                                                               

 These flowers are just one example of the hundreds of different tropical flowers on the property.  What a joy it will be to live in such a colourful place!

I met this young man today in a village outside or Chisec, where Mission2Guatemala helped build a classroom and a small medical clinic for the travelling health nurse to use.  He wanted his photo taken, but wouldn't smile...until after he saw the photo (I love digital cameras!).  Then he was my friend.  Prayerfully he is just the first of many! 
Blessings,
Karren

Day One On The Job!

Today was our first day "on the job" in Chisec!  We arrived here last night and settled into our room and first thing this morning, started getting oriented.  We are working with Manny and Cindy Batres of Mission2Guatemala and we are super excited to begin this new phase in the work the Lord has called us to. 
Rocky and Manny walked the property and discussed the various construction jobs that need to be addressed.  They went to the shop - a fully equipped shop, much to Rocky's delight - and tinkered away on some electrical work. 
Cindy and I headed into Chisec to visit two of the three schools that she has identified as being in real need of help.  We visited with the principals and discussed how we can come along aside and help them to help their kids.  I am so excited about this work.  I love the fact that here we will have the opportunity to work with teams, as we have seen how the Lord uses teams to bless the people and how He works in the lives of those on teams.  It is such a privilege to work with groups.  But...I am also really thrilled to have the opportunity to work more with the local people, developing relationships and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. 
We also had the opportunity to visit one family, who will be benefiting from sponsorship.  As we walked into the yard, we saw 2 little boys running around naked (it is very warm in Chisec).  There are 12 people living in this dirt floor home.  Their beds consisted of wooden planks without any mattress, sheets, pillows, or blankets.  Just planks of wood.  As we visited with the family, we asked who in the home wanted to study this coming year (the school year is from January to October).  A little girl of 6 smiled at us and said that she wanted to start school.  It was so exciting to meet this family and share with them that we were going to help them get shoes, a uniform and the supplies they need so that they can attend school. 
It is our goal this year to work with 25 of the most needy children from the three schools.  We know the need is much greater than this, but, it is a start.
We are so blessed to be a part of this work!  

A Little of This and a Little of That...

Rocky and I were sitting down to nice hot bowl of borcht and thought...we should post some of the random pictures we've taken over the past couple of weeks.  So...here it is...a little of this and a little of that!  I have teased Rocky now for 2 years that one day I want to buy a scooter.  It would be so nice to just jump on a scooter and go to the market.  I would have a big basket on mine to hold all my goodies!  The other day, Hector and Arryn were using his sister's scooter so I decided to try it out! 

I cannot say I am a natural, because that would not be completely truthful.  In fact if pictures had sound, you'd hear me making some interesting noises!  But...and this is the important part...I did get the hang of it, even if it took a bit.  And, I still want a scooter.  There is never anywhere to park here, but if I had a scooter, I could just zip in anywhere and park right where I needed to be.  Maybe one day!   

Chepi is our gardner.  Here in Guatemala if your name is Joshua (Josue) they call you Chepi.  I don't know why, but it is what happens.  Chepi has worked as a gardener in our neighbourhood for his entire life and he is a sweet man.  He speaks no Spanish, only Queqchi, but we seem to be able to communicate.  Here he is helping us cut open a coconut because we don't have a machete.  Rocky tried using my kitchen knife, but at my insistance, he went and asked Chepi for help. 

This is Wendoly and Daryana.  Wendoly was my Spanish teacher and this weekend she had her baby.  She is a woman of faith and it was such a huge blessing to have her as a teacher.  Today when we visited her, she shared how God had His hand upon her through the challenging time before Daryana came into this world.  Here they call it "giving light" when a woman gives birth.  I think it is a beautiful expression. Just like we come out of darkness and into the light when we accept the Lord, the miracle of birth is a natural giving of light.   

It is avocado season again!  Oh man do I love this time of year.  On almost every street corner you can find someone with a basket full of avocados.  Right now the big ones are 3 for Q5 which is about 60 cents.  Rocky is picking a couple off of a tree in our yard.  Our landlords said the taquacines and squirrels were going to get them, and they needed someone of his "stature" to help pick them before the critters got them all.  I can already taste the guacamole coming on...!

About a 5 minute walk from our house is one of the many produce markets in Coban.  It is just ladden with fruit and vegetables!  Today I wanted to make some borcht, so we were hunting for bay leaf, potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage.  No problem.  The bay leaf was Q1 for a bag full, cabbage Q3, carrots Q3, a pound of onions Q3, 5 pounds of potatoes for Q6, for a grand total of Q16 or just over $2!  And, everything was picked within the last two days. 

We are in the middle of winter here and the temperature at night has started to cool off, but during the day, if the sun comes out, it is hot! But, we also have rain every day.  These ladies at the market are prepared for both the blazing sun (which was this afternoon) and the rain (which was this morning). 

Not only is it avocado season, it is also the flower season.  It seems like every type of flower imaginable is now available in the market.  These Calla Lillies (sp?) are an excellent example.  I simply stopped to admire them and the girl selling them wanted me to buy them.  She started at Q5 for three flowers.  Then it was Q5 for six.  Then it was Q5 for a dozen...I had not said a word.  She bundled two dozen Lillies along with some greenery and I paid her Q12 - under $2.  She was thrilled and I was, too! 

This week we are beginning our transition into Mission2Guatemala in Chisec.  We really appreciate your prayers as we step out into what the Lord has prepared for us.  Blessings!  Rocky & Karren 

A Little Close For Comfort!

It has become a normal part of our lives to hear gun fire.  Usually it is a bit of a distance away, and although we often comment, "Did you hear that?" we are rarely bothered by it.  But over the past week, we have heard more than normal and it has been right in our neighbourhood. 
Just a few minutes ago, as we were finishing lunch, we heard some yelling and then numerous shots right outside our house.  Rocky looked outside to see the police chasing some robbers down the lane.  Praise the Lord, they caught them.  Our neighbours have been "arming up" to show a sign of force to those thinking our area is a good spot to target.  And because of the recent increased activity, the police are watching our lane. 

We are so thankful that God has placed BIG ANGELS (Rocky's words) around our home.  We have a cement wall out front, but only a small wire fence out back along a walking path.  We know that if someone would want to do us harm, they could.  We also know, although, that God has us here for a purpose and that we can trust Him with our lives.  This floods us with peace...and with confidence.  We are His!  

Coffee with God! Que rico!

Sunday morning coffee with God...I love it!  I love getting up early on Sunday, having my shower and then settling in with a good cup of Guatemalan coffee and the Word.  It is often at these times when I hear the Lord clearly and feel truly ministered to. 
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers, is a devotional book that I was first introduced to about 15 years ago.  There was a series of CDs by the same name that all focussed on worshipping the Lord with our lives.  Everynow and then, I change up my morning Bible study by adding a devotional book.  About a week ago, I re-added Oswald to my mornings.  Good choice! 
Sometimes when I read the Word, I don't fully understand the purpose behind what is being said.  That is when I really appreciate a "great thinker" like Oswald Chambers. 
This morning I was reading out of 2 Corinthians 5 - I think one of my all time favourite passages of Scripture.  It is in fact in this passage that Rocky and I received our call and reason for being in Guatemala...for Christ's love compels us! 
Today, although, the focus of my reading was on the very last verse, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  Now there is a mouthful!
Here is part of Oswald Chambers reflection that really struck home, although:  Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrong doing, it is wrong being, deliberate and emphatic independence of God.  The Christian religion bases everything on the positive, radical nature of sin.  Other religions deal with sins; the Bible alone deals with sin. 
As I read that and let it sink in, suddenly things came into focus.  At home, in Canada, many people are involved in "doing good works" and are essentially "good people."  Some, in fact, are better people (more caring, loving, forgiving, accepting, generous) than I am, yet they will not enter Heaven.  Why?  Because of their wrong doing?  No!  Because of their wrong being!  The challenge for unbelievers in Canadian culture is the giving up of their emphatic independence of God.  They want to remain in control, and so they reject their need of a Saviour.   
Our work here is among a people steeped in ancient beliefs and superstitions.  Contrary to Canada, if you asked anyone here on the street if they believed in God, they'd say, "Yes!"  Sadly, although, their concept of one, true, living God, salvation, forgiveness and grace is twisted.  They try as hard as they can to do the right things in hopes of attaining "salvation" but they lack the assurance that can come from Christ alone. 
This problem even extends to the evengelical church.  It is a challenge to find a church here where the concept of authority is not abused and where grace abounds.  Often when someone within the church "sins" (and that can be defined however the leadership wants to define it), they are often dealt with harshly and without grace.  They are "disciplined" publically and must go through a process to be restored.  It is as though they are still operating under the concept of "doing" and not "being."
This morning's reading for me was a good reminder of what our call as believers really is - to share with the lost that it is all about the redemptive work of Christ on the cross and not one of us is worthy to receive this new identity, no matter how good we look on the outside or how many good things we do!  God sees our hearts, our motives, and desires to transform us into new creatures so we can be a part of His Kingdom!  Wow!