Unexpected Surprise

God definately has a funny with carrying out His plans for us. This last week I was given the opportunity to stay in Guatemala for two more weeks. This change happened very quickly and seemed to be exactly the direction God wanted me to go. After talking lightly about the possibility of staying longer with Dr. Tito and mentioning this conversation to my aunt, it was only a few days later that the new team from Spokane offered to give me more money to stay the extra time. God had provided extra money for them this year and they jumped at the chance to give it to me. I did not ask anyone to stay for more time here or for money, but through the generous hearts of others, God works and provides.
This week has also been a week where I have felt extremely loved by the people here and at home. Even though my parents were a little upset after hearing about my opportunity to stay here longer, they have made me feel loved through allowing me to stay despite their desires to have me home. The families here also make me feel like I am one of their daughters. Until yesterday, I was staying with a beautiful family of one of the car drivers for La Mision. Jaja, is the great grandmother, cook, and nanny for this family. She speaks only Spanish and most of the time it is hard to understand her clearly, leaving much room for misunderstanding. You would never believe she is 92 years old by the way she never lets you help her in the kitchen or with household chores. She's also pretty quick to pull out the wooden spoon when the children, Lucy or JuanPa, are acting up. Anyways, before leaving this house, I had to first explain this move to Jaja who was not exactly happy at first. The morning that I left she greeted me with kind words, most of which I could only understand because of her tone of voice and expression. It is amazing how love is almost more clearly expressed without words. Today, I find myself staying with the Palacios family and can't help but feel cared for here. After a long week at the office and doing clinics in Palencia, it was nice to have today to rest and help Brenda, the lovely wife of Tito, with cooking. It was also fun to help their oldest son Alejandro with his English for school. With the help of the team from Spokane who brought molasses along with them, I was able to bake Gingerbread cookies with the kids here too. God continues to bless me with the time spent with the families here at whichever house I am placed.
As for the upcoming week, we travel to Punta de Palma to work in the more rural areas of Guatemala again. This time we will be working in the small villages of Sarita and San Pedro de Cocona (most likely spelled wrong). We leave early tomorrow and set out for the 5-6 hour drive to El Faro where we have stayed during past times. I am excited to see how God works in us and through us this week and although the place is more familiar to me than the first time, I have learned to expect surprises no matter where I am in Guatemala.
If you would keep this team in your prayers, especially for one of the women from Spokane who has had to cut her trip short due to problems back home. Also, continue your prayers for the staff of La Mision and the interns here. Thank you for your prayers and support. May God bless you in your pursuit of Him.

En Christo~
Stephanie

Well, another week has passed with new experiences and many blessings through out each day. The group and I traveled to the beautiful town of San Pedro, which is located at the base of one of three volcanoes in the area and is only a short walk from Lake Atitlan. Although the water looks clean, we were not advised to go swimming during the rainy season due to sanitation reasons. The people in this area wear older, more colorful dress and most of the older population speaks one of the many indigenous languages of the area.  Most of the streets in this small town are made of stone and are usually full of street-side fruit stands and small car-like vehicles called “Tuk-tuks”.  Each morning we would walk to the church were we would hold the same clinics as we have in the other places and the church group would put on a VBS for the kids in the afternoon. The team would also help continue the construction of the buildings surrounding the church. This has been a three-year project and it has been interesting to hear how things have progressed since the first year. At night the team prepared a series of talks for young couples in the area about the importance of having a Godly relationship. The first night was beautiful in multiple ways, from watching the impact the speakers had on the young men and women to talking with some of the youngest kids there about Jesus. I really became quite attached to some of these younger kids, who probably just came because there was nothing better to do until dinner. However, I was amazed how one of these young boys, probably about ten years old, took such good care of his younger brothers. We would see these boys through out the week at the VBS and it would both break my heart and warm it to see the malnourished faces of these children and yet how strong they were despite their state. I brought a Spanish Bible on this trip to give to someone here and ended up giving it to one of these boys, Pedro. It was so amazing to see how grateful he and his friends were to receive it and how eager they were to listen to some of our favorite verses. Of course this blessing came unexpectedly as most do and my eyes were open to the reality of how some are forced to live. Though they had little, these boys showed joy just by being with us. There was nothing I could do to remove them from pain or sickness, but I could share with them the love of Jesus. I will never forget these beautiful children and I pray that God does an amazing work in them.

On the medical side of things, I worked in the Pharmacy and lab area again, teaching those from the church group where to find the Albendazol and confirming with the doctor′s exactly how much Pepcid they wanted to prescribe. It was rare when I wasn′t counting pills, reading a urinalysis, or trying to explain in Spanish how a patient needs to take their prescription. Since some of the people in this town only speak the indigenous language, it was important to find someone who could translate these instructions to the patient. During the afternoon, I was able to assist in the dental part of the clinics. This week we were blessed to have three dentists/dental students here to help, Victor, Carlos A., and Carlos P. All of whom are fun to work with and also great to practice spanish with. 

On Friday, we took a boat to the other side of Lake Atitlan to the town of Panachel. The team from Houston requested another day of shopping here, so we were able to practicing our bargaining skills for yet another time. It was during this time around with clinics that I realized how much time and patience is put into caring for the needs of the visiting group from America. The staff of La Mision really goes to great depths to provide for the wants and needs of these people and there is much of it that goes on unnoticed. This team of Guatemalans, not only serves the people of their country, but also serves each person who is in the short-term missions group from the U.S. This is a beautiful thing to observe and a great example for anyone to learn from. 

As for the upcoming week, tomorrow I get to celebrate the 3rd birthday of Lucy, the daughter of the family I am staying with, and get to hit yet another piñata. I have a new roommate now from SPU who came with a group that will be helping with a school here called America Latina. They will be joining La Mision in September to help out with the “Jornadas” (medical missions). The next church group that is coming is from Eastpoint Church in Spokane, WA. I have met a few of these people before and am excited to see them again. We will be setting up clinics in Palencia and traveling to Punta de Palma again the following week. I can not wait to see how God will choose to work next. Please continue praying for the people here, it is really so powerful. May there be still less of us and more of God. 

En Christo,

Stephanie

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” - Isaiah 64:4

“How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” -John 5:44

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under His care.” -Psalms 95:6-7

Blessings

Well, this week it almost felt like Christmas, except for instead of receiving presents wrapped in bows and colorful paper, we received about a mountain of sample medicines and over 4 truckloads full of dental equipment and other supplies. As a result, the office is packed with these generous gifts that will be used to help others. I have been constantly amazed this week while hearing stories of how some of these donations have come here. From getting through airport security with dental equipment that happened to pass the weighing test to having just enough money to pay the staff for last month. One great thing that I have learned from Dr. Tito has been that God will always provide for the things that we need, but that everything that we have in excess conflicts with our daily worship of the Lord. Tito has not only told us about trusting in the Lord like this, this is the way he lives and it is clear how God faithfully blesses him and La Mision.
Tomorrow should be another filled day, packed with surprises as usual. We have many things to do to prepare for the team that arrives on Saturday. It will be the second team from the church in Houston and we will be heading to the town of San Pedro. It is located near Lake Atitlan about 3 hours or so away from Guatemala City. We will take the team to Antigua on Sunday and then will head out for San Pedro on Monday. The team will be putting on a VBS again through out the week and we will have clinics in the mornings like last week. I can not wait to travel to this part of Guatemala. I have heard many things about this area and am excited to experience it myself.
I really can not express in words the joy that I have felt while being here. God has blessed me consistently with a heart of contentment and overflowing joy even during the most difficult of times. I cant wait to wake up tomorrow and experience a day full of surprises either through conversations with people or through situations I will find myself in. I have really grown to love the people here and their passion for serving the Lord. Even when I feel like I am lost in translation or like I am the only gringa to tease, I am loving every minute of being here. I do not know if I have ever felt this kind of contentment before in my life and I praise the Lord daily for it. I can tell He is up to something and it is good.

Thanks for reading and praying, it is obvious how powerful your prayers are and how great our Lord is in answering them. Please continue to pray for the staff at La Mision (Dr. Tito, Dr. Oswaldo, Rolando, Victor, Wendy, Makko, Koki, and others that work so hard here) for needed rest and readiness for the next team. Also, for the team coming, that they would be excited to work, play, and learn. Please also pray for the two new interns who have arrived this last Monday, that they would be healthy for this week to come (Michael and Brian). Michael has been up late coughing and has not been feeling well during the day-although he says differently. Also, praise God for quick recoveries from illness for me and medicine that really does work. Praise for what the Lord is doing, has done, and will do.

En Christo,
Steph

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.” - Psalms 86:11-13

Goodbyes

I really do not like saying goodbye to anyone, especially to those who I may not see again. These three weeks that I have spent here so far, I have been able to make some of the greatest and unexpected friends. It is so amazing how God can bless you in ways like this when you decide to step out of your comfort zone. When I chose to come to Guatemala, I did not expect that I would become so attached to the people that I met here. Yesterday was our last day of clinics at Palencia with the group from Houston. It was also the last day of clinics for the 5 other interns staying here. Each one of these interns have given me so much joy everyday. From laughing until it hurts to helping each other get adjusted to working here, these friends have blessed me greatly. These people are also great examples of servants of our Lord and each one of them have a beautiful heart for serving those in need. 

With that said, these people who I‛ve gotten to know and love have become my comfort during my time here so far. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, I have been shown again how important it is to find our comfort in Christ alone. This is easier said than done, especially when it is so much faster to find your comfort in those who are around you at the time. Jesus makes things so simple when He says, ‟Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.″ (John 14:1) In this time of change, I need to remember to solely let my comfort be in my Lord. For I know that He will never leave me. 

As for the happenings of this past week, which is probably the reason why you are really interested in reading this blog...

God has done amazing things at the school in Palencia and in the hearts of the people receiving care and giving it. This last team put together a great VBS in the afternoon time where the kids sang songs about Jesus, heard stories about Jesus, and made relationships with the team members here. It was beautiful to see some of the children get more involved and become more trusting of the leaders as the week went on. During the mornings, aside from the medical and dental clinics, the team painted murals in and out of the classrooms and were helping at every opportunity given them. Although Friday was going to be set aside for a day to visit the beach, the team from Houston decided to stay another half-day (which turned into being the whole day) to finish painting. So, Friday we helped paint the bathrooms or at least get a start on them. It rained hard that day so our work was limited, but it was fun to get dirty. 

As for the upcoming week, I turn 22 tomorrow. I′m just hoping that I bypass the embarrassing chicken-dance that the other interns had to perform standing on their chairs at the restaurant we went to last week. But, one thing I′ve learned being here is that you just never know what to expect in Guatemala. On Monday, the last of the 5 interns leave and 2 new ones from Whitworth will be arriving. Prayers for safe travels for those coming and going are needed. Also, prayers for the next team coming from the States, that their hearts come prepared to grow and there hands come ready to serve.  All of the people who work for La Mision seem to be in a constant state of working and providing for others, whether it be their families or those from the U.S. who they meet for the first time. Rest and renewal for the staff at La Mision is always a needed prayer. Also, prayers that God would provide, as He has done so faithfully in the past, financially for La Mision. Thank you for your prayers and support for me. 

En Christo,

Stephanie

‟But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.″ -2 Timothy 4:5

“Search me, Oh God, and know my heart; test me and now my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” -Psalms 139:23-24

‟Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord, ‛You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.′″ -Psalms 16:1-2