Christmas with Family

This Christmas I enjoyed spending time with all my "families." :)

Alejandro and me on Christmas Eve, just before opening presents. (Christmas Eve is a BIG deal in Guatemala.)

And after the presents, everyone gets to play with fireworks at midnight, even the littlest ones! This is a pic of Gaby (2) with a sparkler in hand. If only this picture showed the fear I saw in her face. Haha. :)

Christmas morning I was blessed with a good Skype connection that allowed me to participate in the reading of the Christmas story and the opening of Christmas presents with my family. My brother made a joke about taking a pic of us all together on the screen, but then wasn't so thrilled with actually doing it. Lol.

The stockings and group gifts all ready for the kids at the Home on Christmas morning...

My friend, Ana Beatriz, invited another interpreter friend from church (Albina) and myself to have lunch with her family on Christmas. After spending some time with the kids at NLCH in the morning, I headed out to meet them. It was such a neat experience to share Christmas with a Guatemalan family (aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents all included), and it was a special blessing to be counted as a part of the family.

(Left to Right: Me, Albina, Ana Beatriz)

Birthday and Special Visitors

It just so happened, that there was a Sign Language interpreting workshop on my birthday. And the workshop was being taught by a very dear friend of mine from church. After the workshop, she and another interpreter friend from church treated me to dinner at San Martin. Since it was my birthday, all the waitresses gathered around our table, put the crazy baker's hat on my head, and sang to me. I think the below picture pretty accurately displays the combination of exhaustion and embarrassment I was feeling at that moment. Lol. (On the bright side, the cake was delicious!)

The same friend who led the interpreting workshop, was sweet enough to buy me gerber daisies for my birthday! And the next day, I received another beautiful birthday bouquet from the director of the Children's Home. Oh, and the plaque in front of the daisies was a b-day gift from a student of mine--it's a Bible verse in Korean, with the English translation below it. I love it!

The day after my birthday, I got to visit with a family from my school in Xela. The oldest girl was a student of mine the first year I taught there. I enjoyed showing them around the Children's Home, and the girls enjoyed playing with the kids here.

I can't believe she's in 4th grade now!!! :)

Signing Makes Me Smile

A little over 10 years ago I fell in love with Sign Language. I’d learned little words here and there, and I’d always been fascinated by how I could fingerspell using the alphabet to get away with talking when told to be silent, but in July 2001, I really caught the passion for it. That was the first time I’d ever observed and been taught to use Sign Language in worship. I couldn’t get enough of it. From then on, I was determined to continue studying sign language so that I could also use it in worship one day. And that’s just what I did.

Making due with whatever books I could get my hands on or internet sites I could find, I studied. Eventually the hard work began to pay off. At a youth retreat only a year and a half later, I was given my first opportunity to interpret in sign language. I’ll be honest, that first attempt was pretty terrible. But once I got the nerves out, the other couple sessions I interpreted went much smoother. After that, I just couldn’t get enough.

Throughout the years, I worked with a hearing-impaired 4^th grader as a teacher’s aid in England, interpreted worship music as a part of the Trinity Baptist Church (Germany) praise team, interpreted during Sunday School for a boy with a communication disorder and later a deaf child adopted from Haiti at First Alliance Church in Kentucky, worked with a deaf kindergartner as a student teacher in Kentucky, and did some interpreting for a deaf boy at my “home church” Iglesia Buatista Agape in Illinois. The opportunities to sign came and went, but I enjoyed them all.

Then, I moved to Guatemala. I love Guatemala, and I love Spanish, but I didn’t realize how much I’d miss sign language. Eventually, I began interpreting the worship at church from Spanish to English and then into sign language (after a while this became a quick process I hardly realized I was doing). It was nice to be able to sign during worship again, but it wasn’t the same.

Last May, I attended Iglesia Biblico El Camino for the first time. Unknowingly, I sat in the deaf/signing section. Though I hadn’t intended to sit in that area, God knew just what He was doing in opening up a seat for me there. I was overwhelmed with joy to not only see sign language being used in worship again, but to see such a large group of people worshiping in that way!

After spending the summer in the U.S., I returned to IBEC and jumped right into the sign class that had started just before my summer break. After a few Saturday’s of attending class for 3 hours, rather than the regular 2, I was mostly caught up. Learning Guatemalan sign has been such an adventure. Even after the most frustrating classes, I’ve been so thankful for the opportunity to learn. And every Sunday I am overcome with joy as I join with a group of believers—hearing and not—that share the passion for praising God with their hands. It's a beautiful thing thing to see, and a wonderful experience to share with my sisters and brothers in Christ.

Un Gran Testimonio

For my friends who know Spanish...

Una amiga mía escribió y publicó esta historia en Facebook el lunes. Aunque no la conozcan, los animo leerla. Su actitud a pasar de todo es un gran testimonio. Fue muy impactante para mi, y tal vez será para --ustedes, también.

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Un Asalto Frustrado

Después de un fin de semana más que bendecido, una semana empieza y el inicio es como cualquier otra, buen ánimo, un poco cansada pero optimista por las actividades que vendrán y habrán que superar. Aunque una no quiera a veces los inicios de semana o bien los días se convierten en rutina, y no digo que eso sea malo porque muchas veces se requiere de disciplina para que esa rutina se lleve a cabo. A diferencia de muchos pienso que no todas las rutinas son malas. El diccionario define rutina como un acto repetitivo, como por ejemplo el ejercicio, incluso el vivir puede convertirse en una rutina. Mi día lunes empezó de una manera muy usual, me desperté temprano sin embargo por el frío esperé un rato más en el calor mi cama, realice algunas actividades diarias, pude compartir un tiempo con mi hermana, mis sobrinos, mi abuela y mi mamá y a las 10:30 me despedí de ellos. Cuando salí de casa, mientras caminaba hacia la parada del bus, recuerdo que habían muchos pensamientos en mi mente, como es de costumbre me encanta hacer un mapa mental de las actividades que espero realizar. Pero había algo con lo que no contaba y es que hoy presencié un asalto frustrado, algo que no estaba incluido en mi rutina diaria. Esto fue lo que ocurrió:

Un joven empieza a caminar hacia la puerta del bus y habla al oído del chofer, yo imaginé que tenía algún problema, pero de repente desenfunda un arma y empieza a gritar “todos colaborando con sus celulares o aquí va pasar algo muy feo”. De repente aparece otro joven que empieza a pasar fila por fila pidiendo los celulares, llega a mi lugar e inmediatamente le doy mi teléfono, pongo mis manos en mi rostro, cierro los ojos y solamente escucho todo lo que pasa a mí alrededor. Empiezo a identificar tres voces más, por lo que intuyo que dos jóvenes asaltan la parte de atrás del bus, uno está al lado del chofer amenazando con el arma y el que pasó a pedirme mi celular se dedica a despojar de sus pertenencias a los pasajeros ubicados en la parte delantera del bus. Escucho cosas horribles, amenazas con disparar a la cabeza de un señor, golpes, gritos, palabras obscenas etc., etc., todo era un verdadero caos. Recuerdo pedirle al Señor “por favor que no le hagan daño a ningún pasajero”. Todo esto ocurrió en cuestión de diez minutos o menos. Por fin se bajan del bus, con el preciado botín, las pertenencias de los pasajeros. Abro mis ojos y veo tres niños al frente tan asustados que no hablaban, sus caritas pálidas, señoras llorando y los señores empiezan a comentar que los dejaron sin dinero y uno comenta como lo golpearon. Y pues yo un poco nerviosa, bueno la verdad muy nerviosa, pues fue una experiencia que jamás había vivido y que no se la deseo a nadie.

Me bajo del bus y empiezo a recordar lo sucedido, al principio con mucho enojo, no por lo que robaron sino por las emociones que se manejan en ese momento y además el sentir la impotencia de no poder hacer nada y tan solo ceder a lo que ellos demandan. Pero luego mis pensamientos se vuelven alabanzas para el Señor, porque aún estoy viva, porque tuve la oportunidad de un día más de trabajo, porque ahora estoy compartiendo con ustedes mi anécdota, porque pude regresar a casa y compartir con mi familia nuevamente, porque por la noche pude estar con un amigo y compartir un café, porque también pude compartir con mi hermana por la noche, porque tengo paz, porque pude orar durante el día por estos jóvenes (que es un poco difícil jajaja), porque estoy segura que hay ángeles a mi alrededor, porque estoy a punto de ir a descansar para recibir un nuevo día, porque Dios es fiel, etc, etc, etc.

Entonces entiendo que fue un “asalto frustrado”, lo único que se llevaron fue un celular que tal vez con suerte les den cien quetzales. Pero yo me quedé con lo más grande y preciado que Dios me regala: la vida, su amor, su paz, la oportunidad de tener una relación con él cada día, su presencia, su misericordia (que es nueva cada mañana), su bondad, sus cuidados, sus promesas. Y nuevamente no me queda más que bendecir a esos jóvenes y pedir que el Señor toque sus corazones y le conozcan como su único Señor y Salvador.

Rosi and Esteban Meet Alejandro

Last Saturday I had the privilege of showing my sign teachers (Esteban and Rosi) around New Life Children's Home where I now live. They knew that I was working with a little boy (Alejandro) who is mostly mute, and they had expressed interest in meeting him. So, after our sign class, we drove out to the Home where I was able to introduce them to Alejandro and show them around NLCH. It was a really neat opportunity to get to know Esteban and Rosi better and to gain confidence in my signing abilities. Alejandro also really enjoyed meeting them, though he was a little crazy having new friends around. Below are some pictures from Rosi and Esteban's visit...

Then and Now

This time 4 years ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about my NLCH kids. I’d returned from my summer internship in August, and from that point on, every time I looked at a clock, I’d think of what the kids from the Home and the students from the class I worked with should be doing. It took a long while to realize that not automatically thinking of them when I saw the time, didn’t mean I was forgetting them…so I thought about them and prayed for them constantly. My heart’s biggest desire was to return to NLCH after graduating, I simply had no idea where the funding would come from.

This time 3 years ago, I had just returned from my first visit to NLCH since the internship. I loved every minute I had with the kids and felt immediately at home. I was living in Xela, so I wasn’t actually at the Home, but I was thrilled to be in Guatemala, only 5 or so hours from the kids I loved so much. And though I couldn’t be with my NLCH kids every day, I was settling into life in Xela and falling in love with my first class of first graders.

This time 2 years ago, I was very-well settled into life in Xela. I loved the city and I loved my job, but having just returned from another trip to NLCH over Guatemalan Independence Day, I was wishing I lived closer. Still, I knew the Lord had called me to stay in Xela for another year. Hard as it was, I tried to remain grateful for the 3-day weekends and longer holiday breaks when I could travel to Guatemala City (Villa Nueva, actually) and hang out with my kids. The rest of my friends from school planned trips to the beach, Guatemalan ruins, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico…the trips sounded great, but I wouldn’t have traded that time with my kids (busy and tiresome as those trips were) for anything.

This time 1 year ago, I was struggling with culture shock. Moving to Guatemala City was just what I’d begged the Lord for, but the more I tried to settle in, the more I realized the city was practically a different country when compared to Xela. (Xela did try to separate once and become it’s own country…maybe that has something to do with it…) Work was busy, stressful, tiresome, difficult…and driving…well, that was a pretty stressful challenge, too. I was making it out to NLCH once a week at best. I was frustrated and disappointed that the whole reason I’d moved to Guatemala, and then to the city, was to spend time with my kids, and I was hardly getting to do that at all.

Now, today, I started writing this only as I was waiting on the rain to let up so I could drive home…to NLCH. The Lord has be so faithful and blessed me beyond belief by finally opening the doors for me to live in an apartment at the children’s home. In fact, I now live in the very apartment I stayed in during my first visit back after I'd finished my internship (refer to the above paragraph about this time 3 years ago). I’ve changed grades at school, and I LOVE teaching kindergarten. But even more than that, I love going home to my NLCH kids each day. I love seeing them all out playing as I pull up. I love when they run to the car and offer to help me carry things inside (well, except when they fight to help me…that’s less fun). I love when my sweet little Alejandro who is mostly mute, runs to my car to greet me and immediately starts trying to sign and/or talk to me. I love dropping my things in my house and then going out to play with the kids. And I love that when I’m too exhausted to go out to play, I can relax in my apartment while still listening to (and even watching them) play with one another outside.

I don’t know how I ever lived so far away from these kids. Even just a night away leaves me missing them terribly. These kids (and fellow missionaries at NLCH) make up the best stand-in family I could ever ask for. Every day I find myself overwhelmed gratitude that God chose me to serve Him here, and that he has so graciously opened the door for me to live here at NLCH. Just over 4 years ago, the Lord gave me a promise: "...I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place." (Jer. 29:10) I rejoice in sharing how He has done just that. What a faithful God we serve!

A beautiful rainbow I saw from a rooftop (ok, this was in Xela) a couple weeks ago.

While the NLCH directors were in the States, I got to help with "med call" (giving out meds...and ice...as needed to kids each evening). Here I am with a few of our sick/injured kids from my last night on duty.

My sweet Alejandro who always runs to greet me at my car when I arrive home from school. Alejandro is mostly mute, but I've been working with him on sign language, and he loves it! Even better, he's having fun trying to say the words as he signs them!

5 Day Countdown...

I leave for the U.S. in 5 days! It’s strange to hear others so excited about going “home” for the summer. I remain amazed and overjoyed that God has made Guatemala “home” for me. The only downside to this is that going to the States means leaving home, not going home…and that’s not quite as exciting…Since I leave in 5 days, I’ve decided to make a list of the top 5 things I’m looking forward to in the States and the top 5 things I’ll miss from Guatemala while I’m away.

I’m looking forward to…

1. Spending time with family--NCIS with my papa before bed, Cardinals baseball game with my bro, girl nights with my sis, and lunch dates with my Mum.

2. Visiting with friends--I'm especially excited to see Jenna Klein, my best friend from 6th grade whom I haven't seen since we both lived in England for that one school year.

3. Stores and food places open past 9 PM.

4. My car! I have missed my Hyundai Elantra this year...but mostly, I've missed the sunroof! :)

5. Laura and Jon's wedding--My dear friend and former co-worker and roommate from Xela, Laura, will be marrying another great teacher from IAS, Jon. Not only do they make a cute couple, but their wedding is also going to be a big reunion of former IAS teachers!

I'm going to miss...

1. My kids at NLCH! -- If I were making a list of 50+ things I'd miss this summer, they'd each get listed by name...I love these kids as my best friends, siblings, even some as though they were my own kids. They stole my heart 6 years ago, and it hurts a little more every time I have to leave them.

2. My Family--Hugs, encouragement, wisdom, and prayers from my 2nd mom and dad (Wendy and Kendon), Mamaw and Papaw (Marilyn and Tommy), and all the other missionaries at NLCH (Jodi, Jeff, Staci, Lee, Joy, Jarod).

3. NLCH--It's my favorite place in the whole world...and I've been a lot of places in the world!

4. Corn tortillas and black beans-- Together they make pretty much the best meal ever (especially if you add some cream or maybe an egg) and it can be eaten any time of day!

5. Spanish--It's a beautiful language and I sometimes feel more able to express myself in Spanish than English these days.

2 of the many precious kids that I'll miss this summer--Michy and her "little" sister Gaby.