Mi Familia en Antigua

After 10 days of rest, we moved to our host family for the duration of our Espanol in Antigua.  After one week Alicia is giving us hugs goodbye.  She is an awesome cook and her 50 year old nephew  Francisco takes great care of us.  Every breakfast, lunch and dinner they speak to us in Espanol.  We have already given them so much to laugh about!

Summer in Antigua

We were blessed by a visit from Summer who had been serving in Guatemala City for 5 weeks!

Trust

But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, "You are my God."
My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
And from those who pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant;
Save me in your unfailing love.
Let me not be put to shame, O Lord,
for I have cried out to you.

Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord!
from Psalm 31

Language School Begins

First day of school – SO EXCITED!

10:30 Break – GOING, GOING……

Immediately after school - GONE

SI Guatemala

We got to know Ron and Joan Frese, and their grandchildren, Issac, Jacob and Rachel last week! Ron and Joan are on the board for SI in Visalia and they were all here for language school! They treated us to dinner in an amazing restaurant high above Antigua. It was amazing!

We also spent a day with the Frese family and Fernando, the base director for SI Guatemala touring the ministry sites.

Karen had a great time visiting with the students, team leaders and interns learning about the differences between homestay and staying on a base.  Kenny had a very difficult time walking through a hospital where disabled kids, abandoned by their families because of their disability, were left to the care of others. We were filled with sadness but also hope because these children were being cared for and loved by the hospital staff and Students International staff. 

Sites of Students International Guatemala

Art Site! Amazing, gifted artists!

Afterwards we had lunch with the Frese family and Fernando's family!

Abby

Abby -  Our magnifico housekeeper, cook, translator took wonderful care of us during our first week in Antigua. We went back to visit her after moving out and she started to cry! She called us family. We love her so much!

First Days in Antigua

We arrived in Antigua late at night and at the hotel we were ushered into the smallest room you can imagine. Our first thought was “Okay, God, we can do this if this is your will for us.” There wasn’t even room to open our suitcases. The next day we were given an amazing room in the owner, Rosita’s home. Plus we received breakfast and lunch cooked for us everyday by Abby her housekeeper. Both Abby and Rosita became our good friends. We felt as though we were in language school already they helped us so much with Spanish! Both women shared their hearts with us and we were so encouraged that in spite of the language barrier we could still be in close relationship and love others!

Our first night in Antigua 

In the hotel

We were moved to a bigger room the 2nd night. Not sure why? Language Barrier!

First Breakfast In Antigua!

Church in the square

An old government building in the main square.

Old building destroyed by the earthquakes of 1700’s    

We went into one of these churches and knelt down to pray. I was brought to tears just thinking of all the people who have knelt where we were kneeling over hundreds of years crying out to God.   Karen

Is that a awesome sight?  I love walking down this street!    

In a cafe on the internet above the square! So cool!

Last Days at MTI

We learned so much at Mission Training International that now we cannot imagine leaving without the training.  Thanks so much to all the staff.  What a great organization!  Again, like we shared earlier, there were about 45 adults going to 22 different countries.  We have many new friends all over the world!
Our last week we talked a lot about grieving.  How to say good-bye  well to those you love and to really feel the deepness of your sadness within.  I ended up crying so hard just thinking about how hard it is to leave my children and grandchildren.  If I wasn't truly called by God to the DR, this would have been my turning point.  I would have definitely turned the car and headed for home.  We've come to realize that God has called us into a ministry where we will experience a lot of goodbyes on a regular basis.  We hope that we will be able to love well and deeply knowing that the goodbyes will be that much harder because we do.

One of our instructors, from South Africa, shared that it's customary in his culture to walk those leaving  part of way home and then stop and wave until out of sight.  So that's what we did with each person as they left the program.  When they did this for us it felt really good!

Some of the great words of wisdom shared with us as we prepare to enter a new culture and hope to apply even when we are back in the States.

Break from the Intensity!

MTI was amazing, and amazingly tough!  On Saturday during our 2nd week we took a much needed break to look at one of the surreal sites in Colorado with our new found friends Gary and Valerie, missionaries to Northern Ireland.  Apparently, due to the tectonic plates shifting and forcing the rocks vertical versus horizontal, you get the rocks rising straight up hundreds of feet.  It was a site that left us in awe of our Creator.

From Karen

Wow, I can't believe we only have 4 more days before we head to Guatemala. The past two weeks have been difficult both emotionally and spiritually. I feel as though someone has taken a shovel into my soul and started to turn over the soil bringing all the yucky stuff to the surface. Thankfully, God is with me in this process. I have discovered so many things about myself that maybe I knew but couldn't quite articulate.


Sad to say, I've learned my default when I'm exhausted and haven't taken the time to "fill up" spiritually is to go back to that shame based person I was before I really understood who I am in Christ. I've also learned that I can run a long time on fumes from my empty tank but need to learn to refill before empty! Apparently, in the field in a foreign country this is something I will need to watch out for.


We talk a lot about suspending judgement here. Seems I oftentimes make assumptions about folks without having all the information. Makes me sad but I am now aware of this and learning how to overcome. Definitely something that will be necessary in a new culture.


They've done so much work here on understanding our reactions to different levels of stress, including the long term stress we will be under in the Dominican Republic. This has also been convicting but thankfully the folks here at MTI have helped us to understand ourselves and given us great tools to remain healthy and whole. When we were working on this, I found myself thinking, "You're kidding? We're actually voluntarily heading into more stress?" But God in His gentleness gives us His view and we are again filled with the surety of our call!


We have learned tons about conflict - all the unhealthy ways we approach and deal with conflict - and then they've given us tools to be healthy in conflict. Of course, we are hoping we never have to use those tools but we already have! Nevertheless, conflict still puts a pit in our stomachs.


And finally, we are learning to heed God's call to rest and restoration, along with understanding the Sabbath and its role in our lives. It has been amazing to learn all of this alongside of all these other missionaries. Thank you all for your prayers and your support especially these past few weeks and those leading up to our departure! 

He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of thee. But to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
For me to walk humbly with God I need to set aside my pride and understand that rest is part of God's rhythm for my life!   
Love to you all,      Karen

Back to MTI

We moved back to the MTI campus on Friday. The whole experience brought our group here closer together. It has been comforting to be around so many others who are at different stages on a journey similar to ours. God is doing amazing things throughout the world!

Kenny was hoping to be able to exercise while here and someone had left a bike that he can use anytime. There is also a trail where we can go for walks. Yesterday we were able to walk and pray for a full hour. We are both so thankful that God has met our needs in this way. 

Unexpected Evacuation

On our first Wednesday here, June 27^th, we were evacuated due to forest fires all around us. We were in awe of these fires and the inability of man to stop them. We are praying for all the families who lost there homes. 

In our MTI group we had 45 adults going to 22 different countries along with about 25 children. We were able to stay at Vista Grande Baptist Church approx. 25 miles away. Folks from the church were incredibly warm and inviting. People from both Vista and another church pitched in and provided air mattresses for all of us. They even had hot showers! And our classes continued!

Mission Training International, Colorado

We knew right away that this was going to be an incredible learning experience. All of our instructors are former missionaries

During our first session Robin, one of our instructors, brought up things we had never even considered in regards to missions. Each day has been filled with learning great insights in regards to crossing culture and how to do it well. We’ve also been gaining so much self-knowledge in regards to how we deal with conflict. This part has been excruciatingly painful as we clearly see how we have hurt others in the conflict process.

Exit Washington

The weekend before we left we were commissioned during both services by our home church, Cascade Covenant of North Bend, WA. It was a super special time, especially when our pastor invited all those who had experienced youth ministry with us to come up and put their hands on us and pray. We truly feel sent by the Body of Christ!

During our last week we were able to have dinner individually with each one of our children and their families. Then on Saturday we all gathered to get family photos taken. As much as we tried to prepare to leave well, we were still up and clearing out our home when our dear friend,Kathy Ryan,  arrived at 3am to drive us to the airport. Crazy! Consequently, we arrived in Palmer Lake, Colorado at Mission Training International completely exhausted and then we immediately started our orientation that evening.

Good Bye with Cody

We really wanted to figure out a way to see our son, Cody in Hilo, Hawaii before leaving. He wasn't able to get time off to come to the mainland so we were able to figure out an inexpensive way to go visit him! We used vouchers that were a gift for our time serving at CCC! How cool is that? So, 3 weeks before leaving we hopped a plane and spent 6 fun days hanging out with Cody, Kellie and Rommy, their puppy!