Room with a View.

   This morning I was up at 5:30am.  The window in our room at the base isn't covered in the same way as the window in our old bedroom, so Z was up at the crack of dawn (actually, more accurately, he was up at the tolling of the bells at the Catholic Church telling the town to come for Mass).  We got up, found leftovers in the fridge to eat for breakfast downstairs and then started cleaning.  

 

   The DTS students just left on outreach, so of course there were sheets and towels that needed washing, which was very easy to do in the washing machine.  After the last seven months without a washing machine, I gotta admit that I am enjoying the ease of washing clothes!  As a mom, I don't have any official responsibilities around the bases but our current hospitality and housekeeping leader will be moving back to the States next year and I and another girl will be working together to pick up the slack. 

    I went to Antigua in the afternoon to meet up with a friend for coffee.  I went past a girl begging on the sidewalk, trying to nurse her little baby at the same time.  She caught my eye, but didn't even ask me for anything.  Her face was pure hopelessness.  Her baby was kind of crying, as if she wasn't getting enought to eat... Which wouldn't surprise me, since the mom looked malnourished, and I have talked to other street women who struggle to produce enough milk for their babies.  I brought something to give the mom to eat, and I wanted to stop and pray with her... Somehow to her that she wasn't completely alone in the world... But she didn't stop and let me talk with her, she just walked on.  I felt so upset. 

    .  I have prayed that God would bind my heart to the people of Guatemala.  I don't want to just live here and half heartedly serve these people, I want to truly love them.  Lately I have felt the Lord pulling on my heart, showing me that something new is beginning again... A new season of our life and ministry here.  The stage of serious language learning is done and we are free to minister as the Lord calls.  I feel the Lord preparing our hearts to minister in new way, and for me I wonder if will have something to do with mothers.  The literacy class has been amazing and will continue at the home of our Spanish teacher, but I feel like God has used that to show me that beyond teaching the mothers, my true passion for the class was the discipleship aspect of it, and the idea that through the class we are changing the entire family... And especially for the kids.  My passion will always be children, and evangelism, and I know God is going to start opening new doors for us to minister.  

    This is more than just moving to the base to save a couple bucks.  This is God preparing us for the next stage... And believe me... We are spyched!

The door to our bedroom

Z's bed and toy bins

The edge of our bed, fridge and "tower of power"... The whiteboard with our schedule... This is will very useful once the next DTS start!  

Every castle needs a throne... ( haha, get it?)

We even have a view of the volcano from our bedroom!