This past week was Semana Santa (Holy Week) here so things were a little different. Schools were out and so most of the girls at Mimi's House went home to spend time with their families. Antigua was packed with people and processionals so we stayed clear of all the crowds. Since Robby's parents were here, we spent most of our time working on projects around the house. Thank you, Bob and Bette for all of your help! We've got lights that work in the living room and finished so many other projects that needed to be done.

Our friends Holly and Brad who visited us recently delivered a care package from our home church, Northeast Christian. Thank you so much, Northeast, for thinking of us! It was so nice to receive some things we needed but could not purchase down here!

A Busy Week!

We are so happy to be working with a team from Georgetown, Kentucky! We were able to meet some members of the team last year when we visited Central Church of God in Georgetown. Others in the group are from North East Christian Church in Lexington, New Life Church in Louisville, and several others. It's great to have this time working with people from home!

The past week we've been working with the team on many different projects. We are continuing the water project which will bring pure water from a nearby stream to the small community of El Gorrion. Families there are thrilled that they will soon have plenty of clean water coming right to their homes.

The team has also completed two new homes! Today we had the home dedications and it was incredible to be a part of this work. Both families realized that their homes were gifts from God and not us. And they blessed us just as much as we blessed them this week.

The families that received new homes also received an onil stove. The majority of women in Guatemala cook over an open fire. Because of this, they spend a lot of their time collecting fire wood and carrying heavy loads (usually on their heads) back to their homes. The onil stoves require only 15% of the wood that they would typically use, which means women have more time each day which they can devote to earning money for their families. Also, the stoves are vented which protects their eyes and the families don't have to breathe all of that smoke on a daily basis. The two families we worked with were very excited about their new stoves!

The team was also able to have two Bible schools -- one for the children of El Gorrion in the morning and one for the children in Magdalena in the afternoon. I think we all fell in love with these kids. They are so precious!

Visit to Tecpan

Last night it occurred to us that exactly two years ago we were in Guatemala finishing a week-long mission trip. It was during that week that God confirmed to us that He was calling us to work in Guatemala. And last night we spent our first night in our new home -- we are now living next door to Mimi's House!

Today my mom and I met up with Dick Rutgers to visit with some families in Tecpan. I was most anxious to see Samuel, a fourteen-year-old boy that we sponsor. Two years ago I met Samuel while on a mission trip. We were bringing food and clothing to a widow that lives near Samuel and he asked for shoes not for himself, but for his younger brother. The missionaries we were with explained that we were only able to help the families without fathers and it absolutely broke my heart to have to tell Samuel no.

Months later I remember praying and complaining about my own circumstances when Samuel popped into my mind. I was reminded that although my situation at the time was not perfect, I was still living in a comfortable home with plenty of food to eat. The very next day I emailed the missionaries we had worked with to ask about Samuel. It just so happened (not a coincidence, but orchestrated by God) that the missionaries had just visited Samuel's community. His father had recently died and they were looking for sponsors to help this family.

Today Samuel was working at a nearby farm since schools here were not in session, so we weren't able to see him. But we did have a nice visit with his mom, her children, and lots of other kids who live in the neighborhood. Samuel's sister, Anna, is twelve and doing well in school. His brother, Josue, is nine and also enjoying school. The youngest two boys are still at home with their mom. We had such a great time and I look forward to going back again soon!

Casa Jackson Babies

Today I spent most of time at Casa Jackson with Alberto. He is new to the hospital, so it is necessary for him to stay in a separate room until he gets a little healthier. He enjoyed looking at books with me for a while, but he really just wanted to play with the other kids.



I also spent some time cuddling with Alison. She was not happy in her crib, but quickly calmed down when we rocked and sang songs.


Zoya is a three-year-old who has returned to Casa Jackson. She and her mother had been coming to the monthly educational meetings for parents and the staff noticed that her weight was not where it should be. Last week Zoya was very homesick for her mom, but this week she seemed to be doing better. Hopefully she won't have to spend too much time at the hospital this time.

What a whirlwind the past few months have been! Time is flying by here in Guatemala and we are finishing our language school this week. Although we are not fluent in Spanish, we are comfortable talking in Spanish and can communicate most things we would like to say. Learning a new language is such a long process and “poca a poca” (little by little) we will continue to improve as we live and work here.

Robby is preparing for his first water project in the small community of El Gorrion. A team from Georgetown, Kentucky will be coming in April to help complete this project, which will provide clean drinking water for approximately 120 families. Currently, the people living in El Gorrion depend on a truck to bring a limited supply of water to each family two times each week. This project will give them running water in their homes that will be available whenever they need it.

We have shared with you how God opened doors for us to rent the house next door to Mimi’s House, which has been a huge blessing for us. The house is very large and although we do not need all of this space for our family, we felt like the location was perfect. The landlord has agreed to reduce our rent by $100 each month which made it possible for us to make some much-needed repairs to the house.

After several conversations with Fontaine (the founder and director of Catalyst), we are moving forward with the process to open our home to foster children. It is our hope that Mimi’s House will continue to be a home for girls, while our home will be for infants who will come to us from the Guatemalan court system. As some of you know, it is not possible to adopt from Guatemala for several reasons right now so there are many children slipping through the cracks. We would like to be part of the solution for the problems of abuse, neglect, and malnutrition.

Lori will start working on the paperwork necessary to open our home to foster children. We know that this could be a long process. For example, the attorney that facilitated Cohen’s adoption has since turned her law office into a home for children. Her paperwork was denied many times before she was approved to open her home. We will begin working toward this goal and hope that we will be able to foster children in the future.

Praises:
• We are thankful for God’s protection for our family and for our health.
• We are thankful for a productive time in language school.
• We are thankful for new relationships with the Guatemalan people.
• We are thankful that Lori’s mom has been able to be here with us during our Spanish school to help take care of Cohen & Leah.

Prayer Requests:
• Robby’s upcoming water project in El Gorrion
• Approval for us to open our home to foster children
• For our safety (our kids are growing up thinking it is normal to have guards with guns outside of the grocery store and McDonald’s)
• Both of us to handle the daily stresses of living in Guatemala


Thank you so much for partnering with us in this adventure! We appreciate your support and your prayers!

Sweet, sweet babies

My mom and I have been volunteering at Casa Jackson, a home for malnurished infants and young children. Malnutrition is such an overwhelming problem here in Guatemala, but the staff and volunteers at Casa Jackson do an amazing job. They work very closely with the families, educating them on nutrition, child development, budgeting, health, and hygiene.


Laura was all smiles this afternoon and so sweet sharing her toys with the younger kids.


Mario enjoyed talking on a cell phone today. He has even learned some English. As he stood up in his crib he said, "Up!"


Pedro is so thin and delicate. He needs our prayers for a full recovery.


There are twin girls who were born prematurely. They are at Casa Jackson because their mother died in childbirth. Although they are still tiny, both girls seem to be thriving.

Thank you, Indian Hills Christian Church!!

Cohen with his new buddy Tyler at Mimi's House



We are so thankful for the group from Indian Hills Christian Church in Danville, Kentucky that was here last week. Not only did they put on Vacation Bible School in two locations each day, they distributed Bibles and food baskets to families in need, built an office and kitchen at the school in El Girrion, and constructed a covering for the patio at Mimi's House. In their spare time they painted most of the rooms in our house and helped us with some landscaping! Thank you all so much! You have helped to make our transition in Guatemala much smoother. Sorry we were in school most of the time and not able to spend more time with you, but we look forward to seeing you all again in the future.