Antigua On A Tuk-Tuk

 

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We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog update to bring you:

"Antigua On A Tuk-Tuk"

This is how you get from El Mercado to Casa Santo Domingo in less than 6 minutes.  

Enjoy!

Faithful

We did a switcheroo yesterday at the airport, with the Goodfellow's departure and my parents arrival.  It's the first time for my parents to be here in Guatemala and we were all so excited as they stepped off the plane.

So... since they are only here a week there was no time to waste, right?!?  :)

After we picked them up at the airport, we drove down to Zone 3, the neighborhood at the Guatemala City dump.  Once there, we met up with Brady.  Met some new friends and reunited with old ones.

 Mac couldn't wait to show Mimi and Poppy the concrete floor he "made".  He was SO proud!

  

Then, we headed over to the national cemetery that overlooks the city dump.  Here, my parents were able to see and experience it from afar... the smell, the vultures, the trucks, the people...

the death and the life.

It is still sobering for me, every time I go.

The sweetest time for me yesterday was at lunch.  We were at a small cafe... me, D, the kids, my parents, Brady and Victor (our driver).  Dad was asking Brady about his job, ministry, goals and purpose.  Brady's words still ring in my head and heart... 

"All I know how to do is show up and be faithful."

Such a word from the Lord to me... the me who struggles with performance and grace.

It was beautiful.  Thanks Brady, for showing up and being YOU.

Favorite Moments, Week 2

The Goodfellow familia left at 5:00am this morning.  We were so sad to see them leave... now our kids are grieving their departure and driving us crazy with statements like, "I'm booorrreedddd....".

As I was in the shower (at the crack of dawn)... I began reflecting on some of my most favorite moments over the past week.

• The excitement as the Goodfellow's arrived in Guate, it's been 2 years... and, WAY too long.
• The faces on the hotel staff as 8 kids bombarded the breakfast buffet.
• Our "big helpers" in Zone 3, mixing and pouring the concrete.
• Mac and Charlie, separated at birth?
• Listening to Fito (Guatemalan YL leader) as he told his story.
• Tyler's "ministry" to the local Mayan women.
  
• Being told "frio!" every time we took the above mentioned baby outside without socks, winter hat, and sweater.  Seriously, do these people know that it's 75 degrees outside???
• Charlie Greene's birthday fiesta!  And, the conversations that flowed during the party.
• Our kiddos playing together... futbol, running on the roof, legos, sword fights, and cartoons in Espanol.
• Emma and Riley at Los Gozosos.  Priceless.
• Hanging out with great friends every night... and, dreaming together.
• Cramming 10 kids and 6 adults into Brady's Ford Explorer.
• Guate!, Guate!, Guate!
• Smiles and laughter from the precious souls at Hermano Pedro.
• AND... 9 (yes, 9!) people in a Tuk Tuk.  The impossible... with no pictures to prove it!

My heart is SO FULL from this past week.

Thank you Goodfellow Family!

Thank you Greene's!

We love you all in such a special way...

K

The Joy-FULL Ones

Yesterday morning, we loaded up our families in the shuttle and drove to the city of Chimaltenango... to serve in an orphanage there called Los Gozosos (The Joyful Ones).  

It's a home for 11 special needs children... 

like Nancy...

...and Candy

...and Andres.

I'm fairly certain Darrell schemed some possible ways to kidnap Andres.  :)

They are all precious children... definitely, FULL of joy.  

What gave me the MOST joy however... was watching our girls (Emma and Riley) connect and engage with our new friends in such a special way.  

Priceless.

Emma had such a sweet bond with Nancy... one that I hope she never forgets.  I know that I won't.

Joyful,

K

standing in awe

We just returned to Antigua from GC, where we worked with the Greene's and the Goodfellow's. We poured a concrete floor for a family of 8, who all live in the same 10x12 "house".  We have been serving in zone 3, the neighborhood at the dump.

 My words fall short of what it did to my heart, being there.  My hope is that pictures may tell the better story.

Once we got back to the hotel, this is what I read and wrote in my journal...

"Much dreaming and many words are meaningless.  Therefore stand in awe of God.  If you see the poor and oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things."   Ecc. 5:7-8

I am "standing in awe" of who God is today...

...in the community of friends

...in the beauty of serving with our own kids (LOTS of them!)  :)

...His heart for the poor and oppressed

...the redemption and hope being poured out in the community by the Vida Joven (YL) leaders 

Standing in awe,

K

The dirt floor, "before" picture.

The kids LOVED mixing and pouring the concrete.  :)

The neighborhood where we spent the last two days.

Tyler was a HUGE hit with everyone.

 

A new week.

We are SO excited to say, that our sweet friends (the Goodfellow's) are on their way to join us!!!

We are leaving Antigua soon, traveling to Guatemala City to pick them up.  They will be with us for a week... and, we're pumped!

And, before we pick them up... we are going to Casa Bernabe, a large orphanage in GC.  We will be loving on kids there, holding babies, handing out your donations, and anything else they need us to do.

I can't wait to get there...  :)

I'll report more later... gotta go catch the shuttle.

Blessings,

K

Sunday in Antigua

What a beautiful, Sunday morning here in Antigua Guatemala!  I walked outside to clear views of all three volcanoes.  I could see the tree lines and the new rock that is being formed daily by the eruptions. 

 Yesterday, we met up with Scott, Melissa, and Madi Davis in the Central Park so that we could all walk together to church.  They attend an evangelical church about 3 blocks off the square.  I am here to tell you that it was another “coincidental” moment for us.  When we got to the corner of the block where the church is located, Melissa introduced us to her friend, Brandon.  Brandon is the director of a school right outside of town.  He is from Texas originally.  Kristin noticed that he was carrying a bible with a Young Life logo on it.  So naturally, our YL conversation created an instant connection.  We are excited to check out his school and ministry while we are here.  Oh, and Mac LOVED Brandon from the start!  J

Worship had already begun as we took our seats.  One of the songs we sang during worship was a song written by a friend of ours who lives in Nashville.  We sang it in English and Spanish and I noticed that there were a couple of people in the front row using sign language.  As a musician and writer, my hope is that my music would be heard by as many people that will listen and not only just listen, but be inspired, moved, changed, etc. I stood there and listened as the voices and hands of the congregation blended both harmony and language into a beautiful masterpiece.  A glimpse of heaven anyone?

Part of the sermon time was a “spotlight on ministry”.  The ministry to be spotlighted today… the deaf ministry.  Hmmm.  After the service, I introduced myself to Gustavo who heads up the deaf ministry for the church.  Let me pause right here and say, that I have struggled the most with the language barrier. Most of my Spanish-speaking conversations consist of:  “Hello, My name is Darrell.  What is your name?  How are you?  I am fine.”  And then it gets complicated unless the other person can speak English.  The amazing thing about my conversation with Gustavo is that he is full Guatemalan and was taught sign language by Spanish speakers. But since he uses Guatemalan Sign Language (which is very similar in structure and grammar to American Sign Language with subtle differences), we were able to communicate clearly with each other.  He and I both noted in our conversation that it was really cool how this works.  I am still amazed by it.

After church, we walked a couple of blocks down the street to a great bakery/restaurant.  Scott, Melissa, Madi, and Brandon joined us, as well as some new friends we made that morning at church.  The degree in which we were all able to engage with one another was remarkable.  It seemed like we were all old friends, just back from summer hiatus, catching up with each other.  There was even a huge fish tank full of piranha that the kids went nuts over.

I love how our “being” here allows us to walk into situations fully anticipating and watchful of how God is speaking to our little family.