Scruff Scruff

So I've been erring on the side of lazy and have not shaved in a couple weeks.

Abigail has been all over me to shave off that scruff. She has been threatening to withhold kisses and snuggles if I don't shave.

This morning she declared that if I don't soon shave I'm gonna look like that guy we got Snickers from. Now, in reality we Snickers from Joe and Lydia Groen but I suspect she is thinking of either Fenton or Warren Groen. Funny girl that one.

-knme

Close Connections -- Ever Harder

We are missionaries to Third Culture Kids in Guatemala serving at Christian Academy of Guatemala. After God laid this on our hearts we did our research. One thing we learned is that a TCK has a hard time bonding with people because of the constant turnover in their lives.

At CAG, for example, students sometimes are hesitant to bond with teachers because there is a rather high turnover in teachers from year to year. With our mission being aimed long term we were excited to offer these kids some stability during their years at CAG.

Early on in the school year we had the opportunity to experience the kids side of this as we found out that Joe and Sharon, two people at CAG with whom our family bonded rather quickly, were being obedient servants of Christ and accepting a new position at Dakar Academy in Senegal, West Africa (after 15 years at CAG).

We revisited this sensation/feeling this past Sunday when we found out that the Pastor of the English Church we've been attending since January has accepted a position at church closer to his wife's parents. Again, another family being obedient to Christ's call to move their ministry. Again, another comfortable bond our family made which will be changing because of turnover.

Now, being a bit older I can better understand "calling" and the "why" of moving. This understanding doesn't make it any easier, at first. Like with Joe and Sharon it took a while for us to truly accept it -- but we're there and we're excited for them. For Pastor Dave, Sheryl, and their boys the news is still new. With the Lord and with time I know we will accept it and will be excited for them. The Lord will provide -- I'm ever confident of that.

Now, enough of that... Sara Johnson took this picture a couple weeks ago during prayer time in church. She just happened to look up at a good time and snapped this shot. We were comfortable at El Camino however due to the language barrier Abigail and I were struggling to be (spiritually) fed. Union Church has been a nice fit for our family.

-knme

Oh dear Emma... Thanks...

So Joy, Emma, and I were on the couch. Joy had just finished reading the book "Tails" to Emma. She then declared it was her turn. She flipped back and fourth within the book explaining it to us in her own way.

Then she came to the the monkey page and Emma says, "Look Daddy, it's you when I have a accident" as she points to the rather unimpressed monkey on the left (tail being pulled).

Ah, priceless comment from our littlest girl.

-knme

SNOW DAY!

Guatemalan style at least. We got a call early this morning that school was canceled today. Apparently the bus drivers have gone on strike. Now that doesn't affect us in the traditional North American way, we don't actually take buses to school - so it's not like we needed them. We do however need to travel on the roads, and here when the bus drivers go on strike that becomes impossible. They take their buses and use them as roadblocks, blocking people from entering the capital. They have reduced the number of available streets to get in to 5, in a city of more than 2 million people. The boulevard running through our part of town is apparently open, but you wouldn't go on it unless you want to sit in traffic I'm guessing. What do you think would happen in the North if strikers did this?

A Hobby?

Where on earth did the word hobby come from? I mean, how could that word have anything to do with a pleasurable pastime? I was wondering this on the way home from the banquet tonight, for the first time. So, I looked it up. I still don't really get the connection. It comes from hobbyhorse. Now I know what a hobbyhorse is, the horse head on a stick, got it. And that is where hobby comes from, seriously? English is stupid. Apparently in the 1600s people were comparing the pursuit of any activity to the riding of a toy horse. Maybe I didn't ride enough toy horses as a kid to see the connection.
Where is this all coming from you may ask? Some distinct need to find a hobby to pursue, or just the time to do one. Nope. We were at the Middle School banquet listening to all the biographies. In addition to music, almost all the kids had the same hobby. Can you guess what it was?
Facebook. I wonder how the people who came up with the word hobby would feel about facebook being considered one. Now what on earth does facebook have to do with a horse head on a stick?

Epic Fail!

Where do I draw the line? I understand that my students at the Guatemalan school haven't had as much education. I get that there philosophy of learning is different. But this is ridiculous. I just graded their first music exam of the year. In the 8th grade class the majority failed, we're talking 50s - and they admittedly did not study. In the 9th grade class things were brighter. Some students even scored higher than 100, and then there was the 47 and the 28. Yes, 28 out of 100. Argh! I have decided I will give a makeup test during recess next week. It will be much harder, and the highest grade they can get is a 90. There, I guess I drew the line.

Comedy of Errors

It was to be a great day. We have been planning for a few days to make today our spring cleaning day. That was solidified when mice were found in our storage area. The plan, simple as it was - back the car out of the garage and empty the storage area out slowly into the garage - trying to find and destroy said mice. Well, we have reached a small snag. As Kenneth was backing the car out, he crashed into the spicket - sending water spraying everywhere. The gate guard/handy man is gone, the condo assocation head people are gone - and water is rapidly leaving the cistern. Enter the son of the assocation owner (how wonderful that in this culture they live with their parents until they get married.) He turns the water off at some hidden valve, leaving us with no water in our house. At least it is only our house. No big deal. Unfortunately the car is still sitting in the garage, well part way in the garage. See, while trying to not get the water in the car Ken closed the door, and it then proceeded to lock itself, with the keys in the partly on position, in the ignition. So, here we sit. Hoping that someone from the school will get here fast enough to jimmy the car so that the battery doesn't die. There was only supposed to be one thing dying today, and it wasn't the car battery!

Feats of Stupidity

Just when I think I will see nothing new that will surprise me here, I am wrong. I need to learn to keep a camera in the car. Last week I was driving along the road behind a car whose entire trunk on the left side was basically crunched into the back seat. No problem, there are no inspections here. Then today I was really shocked. As I was returning from the capital (having brought Emma to the doctor) I pulled around a chicken bus. Hanging off the side, by gripping onto the open windows, were five grown men. Seriously! I mean how stupid is that when not only is the bus moving, but you are hanging on the side towards the traffic that is also moving. One slip of the fingers, or enemy who wacks your hand from inside the bus and you are a goner! Wait for the next bus! These are some of the reasons we don't take public transportation, inside or out.

The At Long Last Friends

Oh what a different life we live. I was just sitting down getting ready to write a deep blog entry when we heard a noise and Ken went off on a "Is it a cockroach or a rat" hunt. Shudder. I stood on the coffee table for a while, but now as he is discovering evidence of a mouse (at least I hope it is that small) I am simply keeping my feet up as he searches. I'm not sure - OK, sorry, had to get up on the coffee table again. It has been discovered. And lost. Those little buggers are fast. Now I'm probably not going to be able to sleep tonight, since apparently our dog doesn't have a clue when little critters are on the loose. I thought cockers were supposed to be good hunting dogs. Hmpf.
I officially now don't like flying creatures, or fast running ones, or snakes. The jury is still out on the dog.
Now I shall try to be a little more serious.

We just had an amazing weekend! Every year in Guatemala there is a missions retreat weekend. This year it was hosted up at the lake, which is amazingly beautiful. (It was nice to get out of the congested city and see some beauty for a little while.) We basically took over two of the larger hotels in town, and used the missionary retreat center for children's camp. The whole thing was amazing. A "servants team" flew in from Pennsylvania, and another from Texas, and still another from Scottsdale (I assume Arizona) to make the weekend successful. There was a speaker and worship team provided by Green Acres Baptist Church (a 15,ooo member church in Texas.) There was a complete children's program, we really only saw the kids at lunch and after 9 pm. Programs for singles, high schoolers, married couples, you get the idea. In addition to all that, get this - people fly down to give us free hair cuts, manicures, pedicures, and massages. Free - that's crazy. These teams not only pay their own way, they raise $500 each towards offsetting the conference fee for missionaries. I still can't believe that - it was amazing.

Beyond all that, there was one really important thing we gained from this weekend. A new friend, that is a girl, for Abigail. She has, unfortunately, had a really difficult time transitioning as many of you know. The clique situation in her class is quite bad (at least for Kindergarten) and she is the only new girl, we think the only girl MK, and the only American girl. Odds sort of stacked against her there. Anyway, we have been praying for some time (and we thank those of you who have prayed along with us) that God would provide her a friend like her. This weekend that finally happened.

The story actually starts before we even arrived in Guatemala. We were at CTEN orientation with a few other couples that were heading to Guate, and one in particular we really enjoyed being around. We sort of kept in touch, but had only seen each other once (very briefly) since we moved to the country. They live a few hours away from here, and honestly we just hadn't tried very hard. All that will now change.

After the first night of camp we had reconnected and were standing around waiting for the kids to come back. I think I had already told our colleague, and friend, Don of the hard time Abigail was having. Talk had also happened about how his kids were struggling being the only Americans in their school. How excited I was when the kids came back and they had all played together? Not nearly as excited as I was when Ali leaned in on the way back to our rooms and gave Abigail a giant hug. You know, I think that is the first hug she has had from a girl her age since we left the United States. I, of course, started to cry immediately. Then Ali, Aidan, and Abigail all linked arms and walked together. It was a good weekend indeed.

Now we look forward to making the drive up to Chichicastenango (that's a mouthful huh) where the Logan's live so that we can all spend more time together. We have intentionally planned Abigail's birthday party for a time when the twins can be here. Please join us in praying that this will be a lasting friendship.



I am including a link to the Logan's blog about the weekend so you can see thoughts on this story, and the importance of MK friendship, from another parent. Don writes really well, and has captured the essence of what we often feel as parents in this strange world. Please, take the time to read it - and take the time to check out their families ministry as well.

http://loganjourney.blogspot.com/2010/03/messed-up-kids.html

Off to attempt to sleep, with the covers around my ears, the night light on, and the mouse traps set.