A 2012 Update!

I haven't written anything here for two weeks...not because nothing is happening, but rather because I am not certain where to start.
I'll start with Arryn. Well, on January 1st, Hector proposed to our daughter and she accepted! Arryn is officially engaged. We are so happy for her and Hector and are praying that the Lord will lead and direct their lives as they serve Him together. They are thinking about a wedding sometime in November, so that gives us, and them, plenty of time to prepare.
Over the Christmas holidays, Rocky shared with me that the Lord was telling him to take action. As a result, we pushed ahead in all earnestness with looking for a placement on the mission field. We are more certain than ever that right now, at this time in our lives, God is asking us to serve Him on the foreign mission field. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but our place is not to question that; it is simply to say yes to what He is asking today.
This position of looking for a ministry is new to us. When we went to work with Impact Ministries full time, we were invited to come. We had been involved with bringing down short term teams since Impact began and it was a natural step to take to go and help full time. This position of looking for a place to serve is very different. In fact, what we have discovered is that there many ministries looking for people to come and help.
Because they all seem like exciting possibilities, we decided it would be best for us to go down and visit the ministry sites and meet those working with the various ministries before deciding where to go. We are not looking for a perfect fit - that doesn't exist - but we are looking for a good fit. A place where we can serve the Lord, the local people and the other missionaries who are there.
In order to do this affectively, we need a vehicle. So, that is where we are at. We are looking for a reliable, suitable vehicle to drive down sometime in February with the intent of visiting and praying about where God wants to plant us. This is a huge step for us, but we are excited to see what the Lord has planned!
At this point, becuase we are not affiliated with a missions organization, we are not receiving faith support. Rocky has been working - PTL - but we are praying about how we can raise the funds to purchase a vehicle and fund an exploration trip like this. We have some money set aside, that has already been given for a vehicle, but is isn't enough.
If you would be willing to pray along with us, we'd be so thankful. Pray that God would guide and direct us as we look for and purchase a vehicle, plan the trip down and travel through Mexico, visit the various ministry sites, decide on God's place for us in Central America, and raise our support base, once again.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. We love you and appreciate you more than you know.
Blessings,
Karren

Happy New Years!

This morning, at about 6am, we said goodbye to our second oldest daughter, Arryn. She left for Guatemala, where she will be working for at least 1 year. It was a tough goodbye, especially for her, as she had been saying goodbye to family and friends for the past week already. We know that God has some amazing things in store for her as she seeks Him in her life.
On the way home from the airport - a mere 4 hour drive through the mountains and snow - we were listening to the radio and the announcer was talking about New Years Resolutions - you know...those promises you never seem able to keep. This year I am going to lose 20 pounds; excercise more; read my Bible for at least an hour a day, etc. Have you been there? We all have in one way or another.
This year, my resolution is pretty simple - to walk with the Lord each day, no matter what comes, to trust Him with my life and the lives of those I love, regardless of our circumstances, and to step out when I hear Him call, no matter what it looks like.
I want to take risks with the Lord in 2012 that I would not have taken in 2011, not because I have lost my mind and am experiencing some sort of late mid-life crisis, but rather because I am learning that a risk with the Lord is really no risk at all.
Blessings to you and yours for an awesome, inspiring New Year!
Karren

Family...

One bonus of having a photographer in the family is getting nice, good quality family photos. Yesterday afternoon, our family - all 6 of us - went up to Rose Hill and Marshal took family photos for us. We hadn't actually gone out to do this for quite some time. As I looked through the photos, I realized that our kids are no longer kids...they are adults.


It is a really special time in life when you are no longer parenting small children or even teenagers, but are now parents of young adults. Well, I guess technically Hope is still a teenager, but not for long! Anyway, watching our kids make decisions, choosing what to do and what not to do, is really exciting.


One such decision has made us particularly proud. In one week, Arryn is leaving for Guatemala. She accepted a year long position to work with Cross Commission Ministry in San Cristobal, about 1/2 hour away from Tactic. This ministry is reaching out to street kids through a youth drop in center and Arryn is excited about the opportunity to serve the Lord in through this ministry.



We know that as she gives her life away she will find real meaning and belonging. We are trusting the Lord to provide for her needs and make a way for her to minister to those in need. Our God is so faithful!





For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

From our home to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year!

Rocky, Karren, Alex, Arryn, Marshal and Hope

Not Returning With Impact

Well, most of you already know, but I thought I should write something in our blog, in case you aren't on our mailing list.
Rocky, Hope and I will not be returning to work with Impact Ministries this January. The ministry is transitioning from working with one or two long term field workers, like us, to working with a variety of couples, all on a shorter term basis. We know that God has called us to full time ministry and as a result, we no longer fit the ministry's needs. We are sad about this, as we really enjoyed the work we had the honour of doing over the past two years and really love the people of Tactic.
We are also excited, although, about what the future may hold. We believe that God has a plan and He will direct us as we seek other opportunities to invest our lives through foreign missions. We are looking at a variety of ministries and praying that we will find a good fit. Please pray for us as we move through this time of change.
Blessings,
Karren
PS - if you do not receive our newsletters and would like to, simply send us an email (karrenchupa@hotmail.ca) or comment to this post. Thanks!

Christmas Time Again!

Sunday, December 4th we went out on our annual trek into the woods to find a Christmas tree. Every year we have fewer and fewer children along and this year we were down to one...Hope! Hunting for the tree is a bit of an art, because most of the trees growing wild grow in clusters which means they are not very well formed. You have look for one that is standing alone, off by itself so that the branches will have grown evenly all the way around.

Hope spotted our tree after we had been walking for only a few minutes and she cut it down for us. We dragged it back to the truck, took it home and decorated it that night.

There are so many things that I love about Christmas. I love the way we go out together and look for the perfect tree. I love the smell of the pine as the tree is cut. I love taking out the decorations and looking at all the decorations the kids made when they were little.

For me, Christmas is about slowing down and taking time to be with family and friends, and reflecting on what is really important in life. Our circumstances are not always as we would choose, but we are called to live above our circumstances. Rocky remembered an old hymn the other night that included the following thought: we may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. How true!

This Christmas Season, take heart and lift your gaze. Join us as we remember that the reason we celebrate isn't just because a baby was born. We celebrate because that baby grew up and became the ultimate sacrifice that enabled us to be restored into the Kingdom. We are sons and daughters of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Now we can twinkle and shine, just like the lights on our tree, and honour Him with our lives.

Blessings,

Karren

Thankful for Good Care

A week ago I had surgery. Although the operation was not super serious, I was a little nervous about "going under the knife." But from the moment I arrived in the hospital, I have to say I was so blessed by the care I received. Everyone that played a part in my operation treated me with such kindness and at no point did I ever feel insecure or concerned about the quality of care I was receiving. In fact, I felt certain I was in good hands and all would go well.
I started to think about those in the hospital in Coban, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, and what it would have been like to have surgery there.
Let me describe the scene...When you walk into the hospital in Coban, the smell assaults your senses. It is dirty and chaotic. As you look around, you see people sitting around on the floor everywhere and there is a general sense of disorganization. In the main hall are a few of the mentally challenged patients who live in the hospital begging. They are unkempt, dirty, and clearly not receiving the level of care they need. In admitting, there is only one nurse working - one! - and people have to wait hours to be simply admitted. Once you've filled out the paper work and are admitted, you wait on a gurney without sheets, blankets or pillows. As you wait, you wonder wether or not they are going to have everything you need for your operation, but there isn't anyone there attending to you, so you have noone to ask. Following the surgery, you are placed into a ward with no separate rooms - all 36 patients in one large room. Family members are expected to stay at the hospital with you to attend to your care because there are not enough hospital staff to administer the necessary medicine let alone attend to the other needs a patient may have. And, speaking of medicine, often the hospital is out of appropriate pain medication and antibiotics so essential to recovery and proper healing. As a result of a lack of good follow-up care, your hospital stay is, on average, 1 week.
Talk about a contrast...I walked out of the hospital 24 hours after my surgery feeling confident that I would heal well and my problem was solved. Yes, I had to wait for the surgery and it was rebooked/postponed once, but I received excellent care. I am so thankful that I have access to this kind of care. I know our health care system in Canada is facing a lot of problems and it is far from perfect, but it is miles ahead of so many other countries around the world.
40% of Guatemalans have no access to healthcare - none! 90% of infant deaths are caused by preventable illnesses, dehydration and malnutrition being the most common.
I have nothing to complain about!

It's Cold Outside!

Well, it happened yesterday...snow! I was with my sister and we were out running errands and she suddenly looked outside and exclaimed, "Look, it's snowing! Oh, it's so beautiful!" I can't say that I was quite there ...snow being beautiful. It means it is really cold and that is about as far as my mind could go at that moment.
As I was trying to prepare myself for winter, I started to think about how our attitude really affects how we think about something. My sister's attitude was one of awe and wonder and she was excited to see the seasons change. My attitude was one of grumbling and complaining and as a result I was not able to see the beauty right in front of me. Our situation was exactly the same, but our response reflected our attitude.
I don't think anything happens in our life that does not contain a lesson for us. The snow reminded me of God's promise to me. If I root myself in His Word, beginning each day by meditating on God's truthes and spending some time just talking with my King, my attitude is affected. My circumstances may or may not change, but how I respond will definitely be affected.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22,23
Thank you, Lord, for loving me enough to continue to teach me Your ways!