Friday, March 1, 2024

March 2024 Newsletter

 


Visiting Nearar
In early February we made a trip to Chiquimula to visit our church plant there in the mountain village of Nearar.  It is always a blessing to get to return and worship with them.  David preached during the morning service and afterwards we spent some time just catching up and encouraging each of them.

Continue to keep the church and especially Pastor Rafael and his wife Luz in your prayers.  Pray for encouragement for them. Pray that each member of the church would grow in their faith and share their faith with those around them. 

Intermissions Conference 2024
We attended the Intermissions Conference in Panajachel, Guatemala overlooking beautiful Lake Atitlan. 

The Intermissions community is for all English-speaking Evangelical missionaries living and working all throughout Guatemala.  The conference is an annual time for all of us to get together for fellowship, worship, and fun. 

I wrote a blog post about our weekend there.  If you would like to read it and see more photos visit: Intermissions Conference.

Also, if you would like to see more random family photos from last month visit Life Lately February 2024
IMB MISSIONS COLLEGE 2024
Registration is open until March 10 for this year's Missions College. It will take place April 2-5, 2024 at the IMB's International Learning Center in Virginia.

The world's biggest problem is not a natural disaster, a humanitarian crisis, or a political instability. The greatest problem in the world is spiritual lostness. There is no problem more pressing, and no problem that should unify us more because, in the gospel, God has given us the solution.

The International Mission Board wants to grow a deeper partnership with you and your church in solving the world's greatest problem by providing missions training.

IMB Missions College 2024 is a hands-on training event for pastors, church leaders, mission trip participants, and church members who are already going, or would like to consider going on short-term, mid-term, or long-term mission trips with the International Mission Board (IMB) teams.

Don't miss this opportunity to:
  • Connect with IMB missionaries and leaders
  • Learn and practice the skills you will need to effectively engage the lost in cross-cultural settings
  • Learn how you can deepen your church's involvement in international missions
  • Network with other missions leaders
Whether you have attended a Missions College training event in the past or this will be your first time, we would be excited for you to join us.

Registration will be closing March 10, so register soon.

 
Questions? Email info@imb.org or call 800-999-3113.

Sending Celebration
Thank you for sending missionaries and sustaining missionary presence around the world! Because of your support, the IMB recently appointed 62 missionaries.
 
From reaching Muslims through sports training in Central Asia to church planting in Western France, our latest appointees are going to places where Jesus is largely unknown to bring the good news.
 
🔗 Missed the Sending Celebration? Watch the replay HERE.

To read a highlight from the service, click on this article.

To catch up on other recent IMB news, click on this article.

Pray for the Kanjobal
David ended the month on an exploratory trip to the Kanjobal area.  It was about a nine hour drive from where we live.  He and Gary Stone, our IMB teammate, went together to learn more about the area.

The Kanjobal are one of a number of Mayan people groups living in Guatemala. They inhabit the Cuchumatan Mountains in the department of Huehuetenango.

He will be returning in late April to assist with a medical team that the Stones will be leading in that area.  Pray for the preparations for that team, and begin praying for the hearts of those who will be not only getting medical assistance but also hearing the gospel.




Thursday, February 29, 2024

Life Lately February 2024

 Here are some random photos from the month of February. 

We began the month with a volunteer team in country.  They left on February 2.  You can click on Easthaven Baptist mission team to read about their time here. 

The following week we made a visit to Chiquimula to worship with our church plant in the mountain village of Nearar.  
 
We also enjoyed a Super Bowl party with our IMB mission family.

 We had a lovely Valentine's Day.  We began it with a heart shaped pancake breakfast. 

My guys gave me roses and a new coffee cup.

I love collecting the seasonal cups from San Martin.

The boys had a party at Encounter Academy that afternoon and then that evening David and I enjoyed a date night outing in town.

We had a Saturday puzzle night.


A volunteer team from Florida was in town working with another ministry.  Their children's classes  had studied about our family on Wednesday nights so they wrote us the sweetest letters and brought them down to us.   We enjoyed reading through each one. Thank you Fruit Cove Baptist Church!

The boys playing Battleship.

One of my favorite things is currently available at our McDonald's. I love their strawberry & cream pie!!

When we were home in the States last summer, our friends gifted us a set of outdoor lights.  David finally got around to hanging them in our backyard.  They have many different color patterns and we are enjoying them a lot.
 
Ben and his neighbor friend Josue playing video games one afternoon.

These beautiful yellow trees are in bloom all over town.  They are such a pretty sight to see. 

The jacarandas are also in full bloom.  I love purple so seeing these each year brings a smile to my face.
 
When we were on STAS in 2021 I discovered how good coffee was with half and half.  At the time we could not get it here in Guatemala.  Now, our PriceSmart carries it.  Life is good!

Ben went on a field trip with Encounter Academy to visit some of the historic places around town. He had a fun day hanging out with friends.


 
Enjoying a picnic lunch on their field trip.

This quarter they are taking P.E. at Encounter one afternoon a week.  Here they are practicing basketball.

In Science Cruz was doing a module on Earth Science.  He did an experiment exploring the properties of plastic rock. 

 It was a little messy and he loved it!

In addition, we had a wonderful time attending the annual Intermissions Conference. 
 
and while there, I celebrated my birthday.  
 
David is ending the month on an exploratory trip to the Kanjobal area to make some contacts there for future visits.

An afternoon ice cream outing just me and the boys while David was away traveling.

Overall, it was a lovely month!
 

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

My Birthday 2024

My birthday is February 25.  This year, like many years in the past, it fell during the annual Intermissions Conference.  I woke up in Panajachel, Guatemala seeing gorgeous views of Lake Atitlan.  I was surrounded by precious missionary friends who gave me many hugs and birthday wishes.  I was serenaded many times with the "Happy Birthday" song, and one of those times was on the marimba.  I had delicious buffet meals for breakfast and lunch.  A highlight was a fantastic time of worship and preaching.  If it had ended there, it would have been a perfect day.  But, when the conference was over, we drove back home to another beautiful location, Antigua, Guatemala.  I ended the day walking around our beautiful streets and enjoying a supper meal at Hector's Bistro.

Happy birthday to me!

My guys had me cookies from San Martin bakery, a homemade card, and a new set of sheets. 

 The hotel staff sang to me at breakfast and at lunch and brought me cake both times.


 
 
Here they are singing to me at breakfast. 

a photo with the Stones

Strolling through the streets of Antigua later that evening.

It is Lent season so our town is extra busy these days.

There was a processional passing through later that evening and the sawdust carpets were already being made for it.

A sunset view of Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes from the rooftop of Hector's Bistro, which is where I chose to eat at for my birthday supper.

My current favorite meal in town- skillet steak, veggies, and fries.  It is delicious!!

 I ended the meal with my most favorite dessert of all- crème brulée. 

It really was a perfect day.  I felt loved and celebrated all day long!
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