Back to School

    School... It is the theme of my life right now, what with the literacy class starting up next week, starting preschool with Z (homeschooling for the win!  Haha), continuing with my Spanish-language studies,... I decided to throw another class in there and sign up for with an online school to become a Doula.  Also, Dave is one of the main leaders for the upcoming DIscipleship Training School (DTS) which starts in a couple weeks.  It sounds like a lot, but so far I am learning skills in boundary-setting and learning to say no to other things so that I can focus on the things in my life that are most important to me.  I guess that's just part of becoming an adult- realizing I can't do everything! 

   

 So, for those of you are wondering what a Doula is... It is a professional birthing assistant.  It's not a medical position, it's basically being the expectant mother's supporter and helper through the entire pregnancy, birth, and post-partum time of a woman's life.  In my classed I'm learning things like good communication and active listening skills, how to help a woman make informed choices that support her personal goals, how to help during birth, and also the business aspects of being a doula.  In North America doulas can charge anywhere from $200-$700 for doula services, but of course here I will not be using it as a big money-maker.  I want to use it as a ways to minister to women during this important time of a mother's life.  I had a doula for Z's birth, and she actively helped me to work for the birth experienced I desired.  I gave birth to my child feeling empowered as a good mother, and ready to care for my child and bond with him.  Teenage pregnancy is huge issue here in Guatemala, so I would like to use these skills to help young moms who don't have family support, and also to help missionary moms who are going through the childbirth process without the support of family close-by.

   Oh, and our good news, unrelated to schooling is that our final piece of paperwork for our temporary residency is on its way!!!  We will hopefully have our temporary residency before summer!  Please continue to praying for a smooth and speedy application process.  

Z and I have finished our first week of preschool!  So far so good!  

Z puts a sticker on the chart every day after he finishes his school.  

Classic homeschool schedule includes kitchen duty!  Haha... 

Dave's birthday was in mid January and Z's was at the end of the month.  Dave made himself a cheesecake for his birthday, and we went to the beach overnight to celebrate Z's birthday with swimming and staying up late to watch movies.

Me studying... I'm now studying Spanish and childbirth, so it's a lot of homework to fit into Z's nap time!  

Jet Lag

Coming home has been harder than I expected, and yet easier than I predicted.  I thought there would be some fits of crying for my family, maybe even a sleepless night to waffle back and forth about if we made the right decision to come back to Guatemala... But there has been none of that.  What there has been is frustration.  Maybe it's culture shock... Or would it be reverse culture shock?

I figured that our spanish would come back to us the second we stepped off the plane.  Dave and spoke to each other a bit in Spanish while we were in Canada, as well as were in contact with our Guatemalan friends through Facebook the whole time we were gone... But to me it felt like I forgot everything!  (Keep in mind, I'm the one writing this, and Dave didn't feel this way.). I felt like the first week was going back to the first day ever, trying to remember simple things like how to say I was happy to see someone!  How could I forget so much in such a short time?!  

The second problem has been the fatigue... Part of my inability to speak Spanish has been my low levels of energy, I have napped almost every afternoon and gone to bed before 10pm!  I had no idea out trip had taken so much out of me.  Thankfully, my schedule has been pretty relaxed, and I have been catching up on rest and also on Spanish classes with Eloisa.  Today was the first day I didn't nap and carried a normal conversation in Spanish... Praise the Lord!  I was starting to worry... Haha...  

The easy parts about coming home has been the climate, of course, and being with our team again.  Living in community continues to be a joy, and I love eating meals together especially.  Our cook is still on a medical leave so Dave has been cooking for the base.  Being with Eloisa is wonderful as well, and we enjoyed going to her mother-in-law's birthday party on Sunday.  On Saturday we have will be celebrating a joint birthday for Dave, Ana, Damaris, Miguel, and Z... So many January birthdays!  It's amazing to realize that we have been here for more than a year... We celebrated Z's birthday with them last year too! 

I have started getting up early to pasture the raw milk that I buy from a farmer up the volcano, which has been a good practice for me, to have some quiet time alone to start my day.... Plus the sunrises can't be beat!  The room feels more like home with all the things we brought from our boxes in Canada, with more of our family pictures, and more of those little homey touches that let us know we have really MOVED to Guatemala.  

Jet lagged or not... We are glad to be back.  

My little milk business.  

Z playing "with" the bunny.  

My morning view.  

We are starting literacy class up again!!!! February 4!  Please be in prayer for our future students! 

Christmas in Canada

This morning I woke up in my bed at the base, the plastic store across the street was blaring thier music and I could hear the lyrics of " this is going to be the best day of my life".  I smiled to myself and though, yes, it probably is.  Then I got up and took the first cool shower I have had in a month... Which was a reminder that we ain't in Canada anymore.  

For the past six weeks we have been travelling and visiting many of our friends and family in the States and Canada, including at the YWAM base in California, friends on Quadra Island, and a couple churches near our families homes in BC.  We spent more than 96 hours travelling in cars, airplains, trains, ferries, buses and sky trains, and logged many hours on foot as well, including walks, skating, and even scootering (thanks Caleb!).  It was good that we did so much walking though because we also spent a lot of time eating!  Christmas meals with family were such a joy, and very delicious!  

We were so encouraged by the response people gave when they heard about our ministry and future dreams.  We were prayed for in front of three churches, and met with many friends and family.  We had such a wonderful time with our families, living for about three weeks with each of them.  It's hard to even describe how much fun we had with them all, spending time doing everything as meaningful as praying together to just hanging out and watching Dragons Den on YouTube.  Somehow though, it all felt pretty meaningful, just to be together and make memories.  I got to be with my nephew and got lots of chances to cuddle and feed and care for him in the morning when my sister was sleeping.  Z was so thrilled to meet his nephew and kept telling people that baby Jude was our baby.  It was adorable to see the two cousins together.  

    

    My greatest joy was spending time with family in the evenings.  We had fun movie nights, games nights, dates with dad at the movies and Tim Hortons, lots of conversation, and some pretty intense prayer times.  After the business of the days, with visits to churches and with friends (which was all amazing too!  We just had such a great trip, there wasn't really any bad times at...), it was great to come home every night to hang out with our families and connect with them.  

We have such loving and supportive families, and seeing them was like a glimpse of Heaven.  One day we will all be with Jesus forever and all of the work we did in the Name of sharing the gospel that took us apart from each other on earth will be nothing but a memory.  I love my family so much and although it was hard to leave them all at the end of our  visit, we came back to Guatemala full of joy to continue working and living here.  

Thank you to all who have supported us through your prayers, finances, and the encouraging words you had for us during our time in Canada.  We can't wait to see what God is going to do this year!  Happy 2015 everybody!!!  

  Z brushing Auntie Shannon's hair. 

Uncle Caleb reading to the cousins.  

   Me and the newest little man in my life, Jude.  

  My best friend Kim is a missionary in Africa... This was our first time together on three years! 

I wrote my first novel this year and gave it to my dad for Christmas!  

My cousin reading to Z. 

   Z with his Christmas gift from Kim. 

   Our open house.  We had a good turn out and people were very encouraging!  

  Z decorating cookies at grandma's house.  

  Helping grandma make dinner.