Perspectives

Playing with this boy is one of my favorite memories of Guatemala.  It has nothing to do with this blog entry - unless you consider that this picture (with all the flowers and green) was taken in January.  Aah, for a land without snow and icicles.

We all see life from a different perspective don’t we.  I can’t stand snow, it’s cold and wet and messes up my clean floors.  Abigail on the other hand thinks that snow is wonderful and could play in it all day.  We look at Guatemala and see beauty, while others see the pollution and trash.  Different perspectives, and that’s OK.

We are finding that there are many different perspectives on missions as well.  Some look at the work that we will be doing and consider it secondary, while we see the “prototype citizens of the future” as greatly needing missionaries.  Some argue that we need to keep all of our missionaries state side to work here, while others feel that more need to go overseas.

We recently started taking a course called “Perspectives” put on by the US Center For World Mission.  We have a whole (big) textbook full of many different perspectives on missions.  We are going to be teaching a Sunday School class at church that is designed to give people a more global perspective.  What is your perspective?  Is it in line with God’s perspective?

Wrinkle Remover, apples, and travels - Oh my!

To all you parents who have ever wondered what the other side of the bathroom door looks like while you are “escaping” for a few moments of “peace and quiet,” well Ken took this picture for you.

Well, now our life seems to be back on track.  The family chore chart has reappeared, which seriously helps me focus, and our evening study schedule is actually written down.  I haven’t ever been this structured.  I think it’s because back in high school and college I could actually remember things.  I’m waiting for those little ads that pop up on face book to start showing memory aids (instead of wrinkle removers - what are they thinking!)

Our year end newsletters have gone out, and should be in mailboxes shortly.  We start our new Perspectives Course on Sunday night.  This time we are taking it for a grade, so we will actually have to do the work.  Thankfully a lot of it should be review for us.  Our good friends Bambi and Loren are taking the class with us, so it will be quite different than the last one.  Of course, it will be different anyway as we are not expecting to skew the age range quite so much.  (Maybe that is where the wrinkle remover ads started...)

Emma and Abigail are up to their usual mischief.  In fact I just broke up a silly argument over a ball, and put Abigail in a time out for totally over reacting.  I hear this will end when they are about 30.  Oh Happy Day!  I know, most of you are thinking “Apple doesn’t...” you know the rest.

Our recent trip home to Canada was wonderful.  It was great to spend lots of time with Ken’s parents.  We also had an opportunity to speak at the church Ken went to as a child.  We are so fired up to share about Third Culture Kids, and it was nice to hear many positive responses.  We left with the connections to return and hopefully speak at more churches as well.  Please pray that we will find all the opportunities God has for us in Canada as well as the USA.

The most recent news - We have purchased tickets for our short trip to Guatemala.  Thank you to those who have been faithfully sending in your monthly support - you have helped make this possible.  Please pray that we will be successful in all that we need to get done, and that the girls will be OK here at home.

Today’s Temperatures:  Home = 12, Guatemala = 68.  That is so depressing!