Mid-March, 2011
Mision El Faro (the lighthouse) is absolutely beautiful.
http://www.misionelfaro.org/
Rooms are well-constructed with a toilet, sink, and shower that look awesome and work very well, just like in the U.S. Wooo hooo! When I was in Antigua I had to move from Elvira and Enrique's house due to lack of funds so I could stay at school longer - some of the facilities I stayed at afterward weren't up to the standard of Elvira and Enrique's house. So, I can tell you that, yes, this brings me joy. :)
I've been at El Faro three and a half weeks already. Six weeks of school was just enough Spanish so I can get by although six more weeks would have been a tremendous help. But I'm not worried by any means. God's timing is perfect and everything is for a reason. Not knowing the language well has helped to form relationships... huh, who would've thought?
At this time I don't miss much but if I were to pick the number one thing I miss it would be talking to my friends and church family back home about what Christ is doing in our lives, or how we relate Christ to what's going on in our lives. We could really talk up a storm about God. But then again, the Lord knows I lack patience and it takes time and patience to form relationships, especially when I don't speak the language.
The mission provides a wonderful Bible school experience for the neighborhood kids on Sunday. Three Sundays out of the month some of us go to Punta Palma and some to Santa Maria to teach the kids Bible class. On the fourth Sunday the mission sends a bus (camioneta) to pick up the children and bring them to El Faro for Sunday School.
Unfortunately, the only church services here are services in two different villages nearby but that can be challenging for me with the language barrier. Yikes! Please pray about this.
The dentist asked if I wanted to be his dental assistant. You bet! To explain things a bit, the dentist and I, we're it as far as a medical team of any sort at the mission and he leaves at the end of April. The dental university in Guatemala City will send a new student in June. Prior to graduating, dental students are required to work with the indigenous people for one year after they have fulfilled all of their college requirements. At the beginning of the year of service the university requires the dentist to train his assistant to do everything the dentist does so the assistant can equally perform as a dentist. So, when the new dental student dentist arrives he will be teaching me to be a dentist. Yikes! That's a happy Yikes. The Lord is preparing me to be a Tentmaker. :)
We have a medical team arriving next month so the surgical sheets and the inside of the plastic bins need to be washed with a solution of soap and bleach. Things can really smell musty with all the humidity out here. Ew. This is where my OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) comes in handy. :) Lol, God sure knew what He was doing!
The big picture on the blog is a picture of the mission. The other pictures are of the neighborhood. The people here and the neighborhood people are wonderful, happy people and it thrills me to be able to assist in any way.
I've learned so much from these people. They are supplied with basic needs and would never think of their family not coming first. The family unit is prized above all else. Everyone knows everyone. Their life and focus is simply Family.
I have some prayer requests. Please pray for the following:
1. That I walk according to the Lord's will and not my own.
2. Please pray for the following people: the founders of the mission, the staff and people at the mission, people in the neighboring villages, the country of Guatemala, all the ministers and staff of the churches back home (CLC Church), CCC Church, Sandwich Evangelical Lutheran Church, Calvary Church, my son and his fiance, our friends, family, acquaintances, and future generations in Jesus' Holy, awesome, and amazing Name.
3. For the strengthening of the people praying for Christ's churches and missions. For more people to pray for Christ's church.
4. Wisdom for everyone and myself in #2 and #3 as well as the covering of the covenant of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ over everyone. That each and every one of us is healed of our sins, accepts Jesus Christ as our Savior if we haven't already, that we hunger and thirst for the Lord, daily seeking his face, walking according to His will in our lives.
5. That we are filled with the Holy Spirit; the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
6. That the Lord removes the scales from our eyes, unplugs our ears, and softens our hearts so that we see clearly, hear clearly, and have a heart according to God's Will and live in purity, continually being sanctified in Christ Jesus.
7. That the love of Christ is shown through our actions and the seeds of the truth of Christ are planted, nurtured, and discipled(sp?).
8. That the Lord would provide an evangelical minister/ preacher to work and live at El Faro.
9. Time to study Spanish flashcards/words and/or to study new Spanish material each day and that the Lord would gift me with the ability to speak and understand the Spanish language.
10. A flatbread sandwich from Subway with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, green peppers, black olives, and light mayo. God appreciates a sense of humor, right? Oh, and a Payday candy bar. ;) Thank you God.
Thanks so much for everyone's prayers!
