The Other Brother.

   Sometimes I find myself swinging back and forth between feelings of earth-shaking joy and crushing discouragement.  There are moments when the distance between me and my loved ones at home, including my nephew who I have yet to meet, make me wonder if this is all worth it... But then I take a step back and see how God has brought us here, and everything He is doing in and through us here... And suddenly my doubts fade away and all I can feel is... Anointed. Called out.  Incredibly Loved.  

   You probably know the story of the Prodigal Son.  The prodigal returns from squandering the father's money and the father rejoices over him with a big party.  His brother is all mad because he thinks it's unfair that his father is lavishing his love on the prodigal while he, the faithful and forgotten brother, has been there working all that time.  What the father says is so profound, and has changed the way I view my relationship with God.  The father says, "my son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours."  (Luke 15:31).  I think I have always thought I was the prodigal, thinking I have to beg God to take me back after whatever my latest sin was... But God has been calling me out of that mindset.  

    I am the older brother in the story, finally realizing what I truly have available to me.  God is calling me out to a greater life with Him than I have ever had before.  A life without fear, or doubt, or the feeling that I have somehow been forgotten by God.  He is always with me, and everything He has is mine.  Let that radical statement really hit you and you will be wrecked for regular life.   

   The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in me.   

   Boom.  All excused shattered.   The only times I am discouraged are the moments I forget who I am in Christ and the power He has given me to live victoriously. I am a beloved child of Almighty God and I have the Holy Spirit living in me.  And if He could bring Christ back from the dead, I'm pretty sure He can handle anything I throw at Him.   

   During our week as translators with Recycled Lives we saw multiple people recieve physical healing, including a little girl be delivered from dengue fever.  Dave preached his first sermon and we taught about the Jesus to a group of  about 50 kids every day. Back at home we graduated our first class out of our literacy school and they all are reading the Bible for themselves and their children.  God is working in people's lives, and the joy of getting to be a part of it is AMAZING!   

    Today a woman came to my door to ask about enroling her daughter in our next school. It starts next Wednesday.  She asked if her daughter needed to bring any supplies and I told her that no, everything is provided and free.  She was so thankful and excited that her daughter would finally have the chance to learn to read... And I was so excited because I know that our class is more than just a literacy class... Before every class we have a Bible study and after we have coffee time where we have a chance to minister personally to each student.  This girl is about to hear about the God who loves her and wants to fill her with unspeakable joy!  There is nothing more exciting than that!   

    We are not orphans in this world.  We have a Father who loves us and wants to give us abundant life if we will only be brave enough to step out in faith and follow Him.  So off we go...

    "Do not be afraid little flock, for it pleases your Father to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Provide for yourselves purses that will not wear out, a treasure in Heaven that will not be exhausted, where no theif comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  -Luke 12:32-34.  

    

     

    

I love my life

Last year at this time I was cooking at Woodsman camp. I was having the time of my life, and I wrote a journal entry one night where I wrote my wondering about what I would've doing a year from then. Well, here I am... One year later... And I am in awe of what God is doing in our life. Thankful...hardly even begins to describe how I feel about the life God has given me.

When first arrived to Guatemala with our DTS team last December, we met a couple named Shawn and Brad who were down here leading a house-building team with a ministry that they started called Recycled Lives. Shawn and I connected, since of course, we both share an obscure "unisex" name (let's be real, it's a boy name) you are destined to be friends. 

Anyway, Shawn and I have kept in touch through Facebook, and a couple months ago she asked me if Dave and I would be interested in helping translate for the team they were bringing down this month. These guys have an amazing heart for Jesus and for the people of Guatemala, so we were thrilled to be part of their work.

On Monday we spent our first day with them, helping with their monthly food distribution in a small village near Esquintla (they have a Guatemalan couple that they work with who keep the food distribution program running when they aren't here to do it.). We shared a message from the Bible and then doled out bags of food to each family. Zane was right in there with us, putting a bag of oats into every woman's bag as they went past him. After everyone had their food Dave and all the kids ran off to play soccer while I talked with some of the ladies. We then were off to visit a few homes and pray for the sick. In one home we prayed for a woman to be healed from her post-operation pain and a huge headache she had... And after reading a portion of scripture to her family and praying, her pain was gone! Praise The Lord! 

The day capped off with a swim in the river with a bunch of the kids and a very late lunch/dinner at Pollo Campero. I went to sleep that night feeling like the luckiest person in the world... But that was just Monday! 

Their team had heard about our literacy school and asked how they could help. We wanted to give our students each a children's Bible as a graduation gift (last class is next Friday), and I had been praying that God would provide the finances for us to purchase the Bibles. Books are very expensive here, but I knew that Gd would provide... So when they asked how they could help I told them about our need for three children's Bibles. Shawn stared at me for a second... 

"We gave out children's Bibles last time we were here... We had three leftover and we didn't know who to give them to!" Hahaha....God is so awesome! 

So...We gave the Bibles to our students on Wednesday during class so that they could practice reading from them as homework... The gift was met with tears, they were all so excited and thankful to receive a Bible that they could enjoy with their children. They can all read now, but the easy to read format will help them practice and understand the gospel for themselves. We prayed over each student and Bible, and I cried. The gospel is going into these houses for the first time in a format that these students can understand and share with their families. It was the best class yet!

Thursday was not a day with the Recycled Lives team, but I was invited to go and pray for a sick woman who is the mother of one of the girls in kids club. A few of us went over and prayed for her. She was also having head pain and abdominal pain, just like the woman on Monday, so I knew God had already built up my faith to pray aggressively for this miracle... We prayed for her and all the pain left her body! I walked back to the base, almost stunned at having seen so many miracles in one week... And was met by my friend who complained of having a bad headache... I almost laughed... "Ain't nobody got time for that." I prayed and the Spirit took her pain away instantly. Yeah, Holy Spirit!!! 

Then yesterday Zane and I went with the RL team to help translate as they visited some of the families who live in the homes they have built over the past 5 years. It was amazing! Shawn and her team have such a heart for these people and I was blown away by the welcome we received in each house... Talk about an open door for ministry! I got the chance to pray for people, and Zane made all kinds of new friends. 

Shawn invited us to stay for dinner with them and swim in the pool at the hotel where their team is staying, which was so much fun. David was there by then too, and we enjoyed fellowshipping with their team. One of the girls walked in with a bag of toiletries, a big container of peanut butter and some canned chicken! But as I was still looking through the amazing bag of goodies she had just handed me, Shawn came up with a giant bag of pancake mix, and a big bag of sugar! I was so excited... And then they gave us another big bag... FULL of Spanish children's books and 14 copies of Crazy Love (by Francis Chan) which we can use to lead a Bible study with our graduated students. There were 42 kids books, which one of their team members had spent almost six months slowly collecting off eBay. 

I burst into tears.

 I had been wanted to do a Bible study, but didn't know where I would come up with real study materials... And I had been praying that God would provide more books for Zane. I grew up in a family that read all the time, and I had lamented to God how deprived my son was to not have nice books to read... Well God started planning to get me some books for my son even before I had decided to stay in Guatemala... That's just how good He is. 

Next week we will be in the little village all week with the team to help translate and run the kids program. I am beyond psyched! God is so awesome! 

"Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way on the desert, and streams in the wasteland." -Isaiah 43:18-19

P.S. Funniest moment of the week was at the house where we prayed for the first sick lady. I was very focused on the lady, until Shawn tapped me on the shoulder and gestured to Zane. The grandma of the household had set him on top of a table so the whole family could see him, and had given him a bag of chips to eat. As he ate she stood right beside him, fanning his face with a towel so he'd be more comfortable. Hahahahahahahaha... 

Gifts from Home

Thank you to everyone who prays for us, emails us, supports us financially, and for those special two packages that have made it through the mail to us over the past month. It started with a package from a friend who I have not seen in nine years.  She had loaded up a bunch of aromatherapy oils, a cross-stitch kit (I love those!), and a puzzle for Z!  It was so kind and was like a giant hug!  Then just yesterday a team arrived with a package from my mom... With a cookbook from home, packages of tea, and two little Lightning McQeen!  Such an encouragement and reminder that we are loved!  

   

  Thank you to everyone who prays for us, we can feel the power of your prayers in our everyday life. We still love living here in Guatemala, and are enjoying the ministries that we are part of. We will be graduating our first class of literacy students within the next month.  So exciting!  

  Thank you for praying, writing to us, encouraging us, and helping us to continue in the calling that God has placed on our life. We can't do it without you.  Thank you!  

From Tiny Seeds Come Giant Trees

Some of the team over for Potluck night!  (Look, we have a couch!) 

Eloisa teaching Dave to make Pepian (National dish of Guatemala)

The Lord has provided so that we finally have a fully-furnished kitchen!

Z and Damaris hanging out during literacy class

Two of our lovely students in class

Forming and reading words for the first time!!! 

 The past few weeks we've been hosting a potluck night at our house for the base staff.  We hoped it would catch on as a weekly tradition, and so far it has, with everyone squishing into our place every Thursday for a fun evening of food, conversation, and usually a card game and coffee to wrap up the evening  (our sweet Susy sure loves card games).  With three volunteers here now from Texas, our house is full of even more people and laughter.  We have a great team, and our goal is to help build community through regular social time.  It's been a lot of fun! 

   This past Thursday Dave decided that instead of having regular Spanish lessons, he wanted Eloisa to teach him to make Pepian.  It is the national dish of Guatemala, and is a tomato-based, chicken (often times) soup.  It is served with rice, tortillas, and of course the typical plate of salt, limes, and chiles.  Eloisa was trained as a professional cook before she became a Spanish teacher, and so the two chefs had a wonderful afternoon preparing what appeared, in my opinion, to be the most complicated dish ever created by humans. 
   
 Everyone loved the Pepian, and Eloisa and Dave made such a huge pot that we are still eating it, four days later. 

     As you may notice from the pictures, we have accumulated a lot of new furniture!  God has provided the money, gifts from others, and creativity for new storage solutions, that now our house is fully furnished!  Praise God!  We have almost lived her for 4 months now, and it feels amazing to finally be able to just relax at home... on my couch!!!  Thank you God!

     Literacy classes are still the highlight of my week.  The ladies have begun to form words using the letter/vowel sounds they have learned, and they take turns reading their words in front of the class.  We all cheer and clap after each student reads, and it is the most victorious feeling to watch these women reading for the first time.
 
    Before each class we take time to share from the Bible with all the students, and we have memorized a Bible verse (Phillipians 4:13), which we recite together.  Anytime someone gets frustrated in class we all stop and recite the verse together.  Watching these women persevere is helping me persevere in language school as well.  It is just so excited to think about the Bible going into these homes for the first time, and these students being able to read it for themselves!

    We hope to see this class graduate within a month.  We will be doing another intake of students after that, and already have interest from quite a few people.  The YWAM base has started a Bible study for women, and the literacy class is being promoted there, as well as our students are attending that study and learning even more about God and the Bible. 

     Living away from family here in Guatemala sometimes I feel lonely or scared... but God keeps whispering in my ear that I only have to trust Him.  I only have to keep walking every day, putting my whole faith in Him that He is able to finish everything that He starts.  And He keeps telling me that I should not despise small beginnings. 

    Our little family... little house... little school... but it will not always be this way.  This is our little beginning, and God will create something magnificent out of it.  Please continue to pray for our students, our team, and for us.   

After the first Six Months

Z and Eloisa playing Scrabble

     I was wedged in between a mariachi band, a woman selling stewed chicken with tortillas, and two kids reaching over me to touch Z`s blond hair.  My clothes were drenched in sweat, and although I really needed to use the bathroom already, I kept drinking water to fend off the stifling heat.  The beautiful country-side wizzed past us outside the windows, as the large bus pulled into the on-coming lane to pass a pick-up truck full of people heading for work.  I was ridiculously uncomfortable, and yet blissfully happy to be home in our beloved country of Guatemala.  I had missed my home, even when I was only twenty minutes over the border. 

Z hanging out in his tent (the box from our new fridge)

YWAM staff Potluck held in our living room

      It`s been over a week since we returned from Mexico.  We have a new stamp in our passports, and we can stay in Guatemala for another six months (although we have to pay for an extension at the three month mark, but that`s a lot easier than busing to Mexico again!).  We lived through the long bus-rides to and from Mexico, and discovered Z is far better at traveling than I am and does far less complaining.  Dave, of course, thought the whole thing was a wonderful adventure, and would do it again tomorrow. 
 
      While in Mexico, we enjoyed a few days at a beautiful hotel in a very hot area, and spent a lot of time by the pool and in our air-conditioned room.  It was a nice break, and while we were there we also became an Aunt and Uncle for the first time as my little sister gave birth to her first child!  A little boy, and the first cousin for Z!  (Congrats again to Shannon and Caleb!)

     We came home from Mexico to our beautiful kitchen, which now has a stove and fridge thanks to the generosity of our financial supporters.  It is seriously SO nice to be able to make supper with ease, and to be able to know that our milk wont go bad in our new fridge.  Dave has already made cookies a couple times in our new oven!  

Playing Dutch Blitz with our Canadian friends (and Susy)

    Because of our new kitchen being finally being functional, we decided to start having potlucks at our house for our base staff.  Our base doesn`t have very many social events to bring everyone together, and as you may know- I love hosting team-togetherness events!  We had our first potluck last Thursday evening, and hope to start having them every week.  The first one went very well, and we all enjoyed an evening of food, conversation, and for those who stayed later... Dutch Blitz marathon.  (There are two Canadian volunteers here right now, and they are a riot to play Dutch Blitz with!  They go home on Tuesday, and I am going to miss them so much!  I haven`t laughed this hard in a long time!  What a bunch o`hosers, eh?). 

    We have started having literacy class twice a week, and our first class of four students (we had five, but one boy had to drop out because of family crisis) is well on their way to graduating.  They have all learned all the letter sounds, and will be moving on to sounding out words next week.  Eloisa, our talented teacher, thinks that this class will be able to graduate by the end of June.  We are planning to have a family dinner for all the students when they graduate, and gift each student with a Bible/children's Bible and other supplies so they can continue practicing and learning about the Bible.  I am so proud of each of the students who are working so hard, they come to class so excited to show me their homework.  Eloisa has me teach the Bible lesson before each class, which is great Spanish practice for me, as well as is so encouraging to see the women listening to the Word with such enthusiasm.  These students are open to the gospel, and this class is a wide open door to share with them. 

     This morning Dave will be off to Puerto Abajo,the village where he volunteers every Monday.  Some friends of ours run a lunch/evangelism ministry there once a week, and Dave goes to hang out with the kids.  The kids are starved for attention there, especially from a male role-model like Dave, so it's an amazing opportunity to share the gospel with the kids.  Dave always reads them Bible stories, and has been giving some Story of Jesus booklets to the kids who can read.  We have requests to bring our literacy school to Puerto Abajo, and are praying and waiting on the Lord to see how we could mobilize our school to reach more families. 

     Mondays are a quiet day for Z and I while Dave is gone.  With rainy season in full-swing, it is too wet to even play in the yard some days.  Today is an especially wet Monday, so I think we'll be making some hot chocolate, and playing with our new play dough all morning (the greatest purchase we made in Mexico, and will probably be the toy that get Z through rainy season!).

     Thank you to those people who write to us, encourage us, and remind us that although we are far away, we have not been forgotten.  A big thank you as well to those who pray and donate financially to our ministry, we appreciate your support and partnership in what the Lord is doing through us here in Guatemala.  We are so thankful to be able to live here!

(also, sorry about the picture quality, I couldn't get the pictures off our camera, so these were just taken on a camera phone.  figured something was better than nothing.  thanks for reading my blog!) 



Note:  If you are interested in partnering finacially with us, please go to www.ywamcanada.org/donations.html for information on how to donate within Canada and recieve tax-recepts.  (David and Shawn King, YWAM Antigua.)  In the States donations can be sent through YWAM Chico, at ywamchico.com.   

The One-Room School

Z in the fully-furnished classroom!

Eloisa teaching the vowels. 

Dave reading the creation story to the kids.

   The one-room school is officially open for classes!  This past Wednesday we had our first literacy class with 5 students (plus 3 kids for the kids' club).  Three ladies came, and two of them brought their nephews to the class.  Both young boys seemed a little nervous about being in the class, and although neither of them attend public school anymore, they both seem very bright and will flourish with more teacher attention.  The ladies all come from difficult situations, some are Christians some are not, but through this class we have a wide open door to share with them the abundant life that is available to them through faith in Jesus.  These are women who have known little joy or peace in their lives (the boys too), and this class is a chance to learn a valuable skill, free of charge, while also being encouraged by Bible teaching too. 

    For our first morning I gave the welcome, and shared a little about how much Christ loves them, then Dave and I took the kids out and had a fun time teaching them about Creation and the love of God for them.  We played games on the back lawn, ate pan-dulce (sweet bread) and drank juice, coloured pictures, read a story, and had a great time.  All the while I could see Eloisa working with the students, praying over them, and teaching them the vowels.  She is such a natural teacher, and her love for Christ comes through clearly in everything she does.  The women really responded to her, and I was able to chat with them as well after the class while we shared coffee and more pan dulce. 

     The next day, while Eloisa was over for Spanish class, she told me that one of the women told her later that she thinks she's wont be able to learn to read, but after she heard us talking about how God wants to help her, she knew that she could continue.  It's so exciting!

     I know these students will be able to read soon under Eloisa's expert teaching, and beyond that I pray that God will transform their hearts through the Bible both during class, and once they are able to read it for themselves.  Please pray for our students, children, and teacher. 

     "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  -Phillipians 3:14  

Praying for Pencils

  “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it...” 

-          Malachi 3:6

                                                            

      At the beginning of last month I began to talk with our Spanish teacher, Eloisa, about starting a literacy class for local women.  Many women in Guatemala have very little education, have children young, and are forced for work simple jobs such as washing clothes or making tortillas to try to make ends meet.  Often they are illiterate, and have little hope to create a better life for themselves or their children.  Eloisa had dreamed for years to start a literacy class, and to use it as a platform to teach the Bible. 

    

     When she talked about it I began to get excited as well... God had spoken to me last year during the DTS about how I was to teach.  I didn’t really know what that would look like, since I’m not much of a student, and I really don’t have the patience to teach either.  God just kept speaking to me about teaching, and during a worship session in our DTS a few of the teachers from the Christian school on base laid hands and prayed that I would receive the gift of teaching. 

     Eloisa and I have spent the month brainstorming ideas, finding teaching materials and planning for the class.  We will have our first “Mujeres de Cristo, Classe de Alfabetizar” (Women of Christ, Class of Literacy) on May 14^th in my living room.  I put a sign on the door of our house, and many people have stopped to ask questions about the class.  Eloisa will be the ladie’s teacher, while I will teach the children’s class (since most of the ladies will be bringing at least one child).  We will be starting with just a beginner class for those who cannot read or write at all, and plan to go to two classes a week so that we can have a day for advanced students as well. 

       Dave, and the other staff at our YWAM base, distribute Bibles into homes in our city every week.  They are invited into people’s homes, where they get the chance to pray for them, invite them to the weekly Bible class held at the base, and share with them the love of Christ.  It is a powerful time, and Dave always comes home with stories of people who they encountered and prayed for.  The problem is that in many homes only the husband can read.  The Bible is God’s word, and is powerful and life-giving.  Eloisa and I’s goal through this class will be to equip the women of our community to be able to read the Bible, and to teach their children the truths and stories of Jesus. 

     Our class will open with a Bible lesson, before the children break off into their program with me, where I will have crafts, stories, and activities to support the Bible lesson.  Eloisa is a trained teacher, and has found an amazing curriculum she will use with the women to take them from learning to hold a pencil to being able to read and understand the Bible for themselves. 

      To get all this started, we needed some supplies.  The women coming to the class can’t afford the necessary notebooks and pencils, never-mind a school table and teaching tools.  As we planned for the class, Eloisa and I began to pray that God would provide financially for the class. 

      God showed up. 

       I’m not going to lie to you; we ended last month with less than the cost of a sub sandwich in our wallets.  But God had provided enough for all the supplies for the class.  The table, chairs, whiteboard, notebooks, poster board for making teaching aids, pencils, erasers, pens, crayons, markers,... all of it.  Plus we hadn’t missed a meal, we’d been able to continue Spanish classes, and we’d gained a little more faith in God’s provision. 

      Classes start next week!

                                      

Dave sitting at the awesome table!  With chairs!

                                                      

A bunch of the supplies

      Please be praying for Eloisa and me as we teach, and that the message of Christ would come through clearly.  Please pray also for the women to learn quickly, and that their husbands would be supportive of their attendance to the class.