The Adventure Continues!

We have had a busy, but very fulfilling three weeks in Canada so far.  We have had the time to see family and friends and get caught up. We have also been blessed with many speaking opportunities (Bible Truth Church, Kamloops Christian School chapel, KCS Staff devotional, Pritchard Community Church, Pritchard/Scotch Creek Guatemala Team dessert night, one of the Alliance Church Senior Care Group's Christmas pot luck, and Highroad Academy Primary, Intermediate and High School chapels).  It is such a joy to share what we are learning as we journey along with the Lord as well as share the vision for the future that He has given us.  

This morning we left Chilliwack for our "Northern Loop" adventure.  We are visiting Williams Lake, Prince George, Grand Prairie, Edmonton and Calgary.  I am so thankful for the vehicle that we have and that Rocky loves to drive, regardless of the conditions.  That frees me up to just be a passenger and enjoy the amazing scenery along the way.  

As you begin to get geared up for the Christmas Season, I pray you will be able to sit back, relax and soak in the presence of the Lord.  I also pray that you will have time with those you love and hold dear and will be able to share the joy that is within you with others who may find this season a challenging time.  

The Lord willing, we will be back in Kamloops on Saturday, December 13th and will be in Kamloops until Christmas Eve.  We look forward to more "connecting" and "sharing!" 

If you want to connect with us, you can do any one (or all) of the following:

text us at:  250-574-7611; call or text us at 250-320-8443; email us at rockiechupa@yahoo.ca or karrenchupa@hotmail.ca; or message us on facebook.   

Blessings,

Karren & Rocky

It's going to be a white Christmas!

Well, we’ve been in Canada for a week already.  I am amazed at how quickly time has flown by.  Rocky’s brother, Myles, picked us up at the airport and we spent a few days with family in Chilliwack.  Then we were off to Kelowna to see our daughter and son-in-law, Alex and Alan.  They bought a house last spring and it was neat to see all the work they’ve done since moving in.  After a couple of days there, we made our way to my parent’s place in Kamloops, where we are now. 

After a long and somewhat stressful process, Hector did receive a visa to visit Canada and he and Arryn (Lizzy) arrived in Vancouver on the 22^nd.  They are currently in Kelowna, but will be arriving in Kamloops tomorrow.  We are so excited for Hector to meet family and friends and to share this beautiful province with him.  This Christmas we will have all 7 of our kids together!  We know this will probably not happen again for a long time. 

Last night we had the opportunity to share at Bible Truth church and it was a wonderful time of celebrating missions and what the Lord is doing around the world.  It is such a blessing to be able to share with others what we have been learning and doing, and to talk about the vision that the Lord has given us for the future.    

I thought some of you may like to know what our schedule looks likes while we are in Canada. 

November 15^th – arrived in Vancouver

November 16^th – 18^th – Chilliwack

November 18^th – 20^th – Kelowna

November 20^th – December 2^nd – Kamloops

·         November 23^rd – Bible Truth

·         November  26^th – Kamloops Christian School High School Chapel

·         November 27^th – Kamloops Christian School Staff Devotional

·         November 29^th – Pritchard Dessert Night

·         November 30^th – Pritchard Community Church

·         December 1^st – Kamloops Alliance Church Senior’s Cell Group

December 2^nd – December 6^th – Chilliwack

·         December 2^nd – Highroad Academy Primary Chapel

·         December 2^nd – Highroad Guatemala Team Pot Luck

·         December 3^rd – Highroad Academy Intermediate Chapel

·         December 5^th -  Highroad Academy High School Chapel

December 6^th – December 13^th – the Northern Loop

·         Williams Lake (6^th)

·         Prince George (7^th)

·         Grand Prairie (8^th, 9^th)

·         Edmonton (10^th, 11^th)

·         Calgary (12^th, 13^th)

December 13^th – 24^th – Kamloops

·         December 16^th – 18^th Sun Peaks

·         December 22^nd – 23^rd Christmas with Duerksen family

December 24^th – 26^th – Kelowna

·         Christmas at Alex’s with all 7 kids!

December 26^th – 29^th (31^st?)– Chilliwack

·         December 27^th – Christmas with Chupa/Teschke family

·         Arryn and Hector fly back to Guatemala on the 31^st 

January 1^st – 19^th  – Kamloops

·         January 18^th – Scotch Creek Church

January 19^th – 22^nd – Chilliwack

·         January 22^nd – fly back to Guatemala

We are really hoping to connect with as many of you as possible.  If you see that we are in your area and we would like to go for coffee, please call us at 250-320-8443 or 250-377-6996 or message us on facebook. 

Blessings!    

Home for Christmas!

We arrived in the capital this afternoon and are flying out for Canada in the morning.  It feels like it has been a long time since we've been home, but it has only been 5 1/2 months.  As Rocky and I were driving today, we were talking and realized our last trip in May was a real whirlwind.  We were in Canada for only 2 weeks and during that time, we moved all our possessions to storage, had a garaged sale, re-roofed the house and our youngest daughter, Hope, got married.  We were hardly able to connect with family, let alone spend time with anyone else.  The one Sunday we were home and went to church, we were an hour late - they had changed the evening service time and we arrived just in time for the alter call!  Oops!
This trip is going to be different.  We are "home" for 9 weeks!  We do have a speaking schedule and some travelling/visiting that we are going to do, but we have 9 weeks to do it in.
We are super excited that our son-in-law, Hector, was able to get a visa and he and Arryn will be joining the rest of the gang for Christmas. We are really looking forward to hanging out with family and reconnecting with friends.
As we won't have a cell phone while in Canada, if you want to get together, please call us at my parent's place 250-377-6996, send me an email, or message me on facebook.

Today I remembered...

This morning we attended church, as usual.  After a wonderful time of praise and worship we shared in communion and as I was looking at those serving, I remembered a word that was spoken over me about 2 1/2 years ago.
In a church in Coban, the worship leader came to me after a service and said as we were worshipping  she saw a picture of me ministering to women in white guipils (the traditional tops worn here by women).  I received the word, but had long forgotten...until this morning.
As I looked to the front, the 6 women helping with serving communion were all wearing white guipils and the word from 2 1/2 years ago came flooding back.  There was a moment of confirmation from the Lord - I am where I am supposed to be!
How cool is that!  

You know you are in Guatemala when...

 Many times throughout the week, Rocky and I shake our heads and say, “Man, you know you’re in Guatemala when…” because some things occur here that would never happen in Canada. 

For example, a motorcycle is a family vehicle here and it is not uncommon to see dad, mom, 2 kids and a baby all on a small 125cc motor bike.  And…all without helmets! 

Another example is at our church; the wall is full of large nails hanging at about 4 feet.  These are for the babies!  Mom’s carry their babies (actually up to 2 years old) in a fabric sling on their back supported by a strap on their foreheads.  I have tried it and it is difficult, uncomfortable and heavy.  Once the baby has fallen asleep, they take this sling and hook the strap over the nail and literally hang the baby up.  That is where the baby sleeps during church! 

Then, the other day the truck we are using to deliver supplies to Yalicoc (where the team from Pritchard is doing a water project) got stuck in the mud and called for help.  A Guatemalan style tow truck came running (literally) to the rescue!  50 guys with 10 ropes pulled a 5 ton truck out of the mud and up a steep slope!  Crazy!     

But this last week we saw a first.  We went to a birthday party of an older man in our church.  Basically the entire church attended and the one room was not big enough to hold everyone.  So, they simply removed the back wall and extended the area into the outdoors!  Man, you know you’re in Guatemala when they remove a wall from the house to accommodate people for a party! 

These are just a few of the humorous things we see as we share life with the lovely people of Chisec.  We also, however, see some sad things that cause us to shake our heads and realize how difficult life is for the many people living in poverty.

 Just this week a one year old baby from our church died en route to the hospital in Coban 1 ½ hours away (in public transportation).   The family waited too long before seeking medical help and their little one died.  We got a call from our pastor letting us know that the couple had used all of their resources to pay for the transportation to Coban and now had nothing left to buy a coffin for their baby.  As is custom here, the body stays in the home for 24 hours and the community come to visit throughout those 24 hours and then they make the trek, on foot, to the church for a service and then the cemetery for the burial.  Because there was no coffin, this little one was laid out on the kitchen table. 

I don’t know about you but I wrestle with all kinds of different emotions when a little one dies. 

I know the people living in rural Guatemala do not have easy access to medical care.  The clinic we have in Chisec really is not able to address anything more serious than routine vaccinations and the common cold.  It is not their fault, but rather the fault of a broken system.  So, when you are really sick, they tell you that you have to go to Coban.   Just that in itself is often deterrent enough for a family to do nothing.  They know they cannot get help in Chisec and they don’t have the means to make the journey to Coban and support themselves while there.   And so they wait.  By the time they realize it is serious, it is often too late. 

So, how do we help?   How can we make a difference?   That is a question we ask ourselves every day.  We know that simply throwing money at a situation does more harm than good.  Years ago we read, When Helping Hurts, and more recently, My Business My Mission.  These two books have helped us to have a healthy perspective of our work as missionaries.

In situations of crisis, like the death of a child, it is right to step in and help in whatever manner you can.  But, these are one-time interventions in an emergency.   The poor don’t need a handout; they need a hand up.  And whatever we do must be encased in the Gospel.  Just like me, the poor need to know who they are in Christ – sons and daughters of the King!  Princes and princesses with access to their heavenly Father.    They need to have their hope, confidence and dignity restored.   

These are the things the Lord is stirring in our hearts as we journey along with Him.  What a privilege it is to live among and serve these dear people.    

Getting Geared Up...

We are getting geared up for the 2015 school year.  Our education program is growing and we are excited!  For 2015 we will have 32-35 sponsored students in the Christian school and about 150 in the public schools!  Amazing!

We are so thankful for the generous donations/gifts of teams throughout the year who have brought with them pencils, pens, rulers, etc, and for those who have raised money through their summer VBS program or Sunday school program to support education in rural Guatemala. Thank you so much!
The last team that was here from Michigan brought with them over 200 back packs along with a huge amount of supplies and they helped us pack 150 backpacks.  They are just waiting for a few finishing touches and then, in January they will be distributed.  

We are also excited and encouraged by the number of people wanting to sponsor children to attend the Christian school.  We have seen first hand the impact this has, not only on the child, but on the entire family.  What an amazing expression of love between a North American sponsor and a poor family in Guatemala.  It is such an honour for us to be the  ones helping to facilitate this.  There is no way these kids would have the opportunity to attend a Christian school (perhaps no school at all) without the help of their sponsor.  As this school year draws to a close, we are so proud to see many of our kids names on the honour roll; they recognize the gift they are being given and they are working hard.

Thank you, again, for being a part of the lives of children in Chisec.
Blessings!
 

Staying Focused

Sometimes we find ourselves distracted by the many challenges that seem to steal our focus and attention here in Guatemala.  Currently we are waiting for parts to fix the Pathfinder.  It is out of commission for the moment (C .V. Joint).  The amplifier for showing the Jesus movie had to be sent back to the U.S. for repairs after just receiving a replacement battery.  The walls inside our room were filled with little army ants determined to claim new territory.  No bank in Chisec would open up an account for us.  The power is off for the 4^th time this week.  And the list goes on!  

It can be distracting and sometimes takes a little wind out of our sails but thanks be to the Lord.   He always has a way of bringing us to His Word for encouragement, focus and motivation. 

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”   Ps 31:24  NKJV “We pray that you will have the strength to stick it out for the long haul-not the grim strength of gritting your teeth, but the glory- strength God gives.”  Ps 1:11  MSG.

We are here to share the good news of Jesus Christ through word and deed. This remains our focus. The temporary setbacks only help to build character and faith. They challenge us to keep moving forward for the purposes of the Kingdom. The Lord helps us to turn these moments of frustration into stepping stones of faith. He gives us His Word and sends encouragement through the body to strengthen us.

On the team that was just here from Michigan there were two mechanics to help with the car. The team was also able to take the amp back to the States for repairs. The army ants were introduced to vast quantities of Raid and we were able to open up an account at a different bank in Coban, a town we visit regularly to buy supplies.  And…the power came back on after only 15 hours!  There always will be bumps in the journey but if we stay focused and in expectation of God’s goodness, we will see the reward. We are looking with anticipation to the future and we see some new things on the horizon. Our newsletter should be sent out soon to give the update. Stay tuned!!