November Lindberg Update

Hi there family and friends! I can’t believe it is almost December already, which means we have almost been here for a year! Who would have thought….well here we are. I really wanted to write all of you and let you know what is new with us and what we have been up to here in Guatemala. So here is an update of the last few months.
Steve has been busy helping at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage with construction projects, maintenance of buildings and grounds, and also working with teams putting together projects for them. He loves to work with the teams organizing things for them to do and getting to know them. There have been teams from Missouri, Arkansas, Langley (full of his buddies from Christian Life Assembly), and many more to come. The last team Steve worked with, made a huge playground for the kids at the Orphanage to enjoy….it is big wooden structure with slides, swings, and more. It was a big project that Steve put a lot of time and effort into helping make sure it was ready to go and it went off without a hitch! Steve also does many things with our kids, like going for swims at the local pool, outings around the area, and playing in the house. Another passion and love Steve has here in our little town is spending time with some friends he has made here. He meets with around 3-5 guys each Tuesday reading the Bible, teaching, challenging each other, and encouraging one another in the things of God. When Steve began this around March, the three guys that came where from Catholic background and not believers. Now the guys are all either close to accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour or already have. IT is very exciting and they are such great friends to us and we love to spend time with them. Steve also plays soccer with a group of 10-15 guys every Thursday night….some are guys he works with at Shadow and others are guys from town. This has given Steve a big opportunity to build friendships and a chance to have fun and exercise too!
The last few months, we have had Hannah Rempel living with us. She is a family friend and used to babysit for us back home before we moved here. I felt led to email Hannah about 5-6 months ago to see if she was interested in living with us while the kids were on summer break from school here in Monjas. The school year runs from January to October in Guatemala, which meant our kids would be off all day and yet Steve and I had lots to do during the days. Hannah joined us here in Sept. and is here until mid-Dec. when we all head back to Canada for a break. She has helped us tremendously with the kids, home-school work, and just a great friend to have live with us. I am really going to miss her, as will our kids! She has learned a lot of Spanish in her time here already and the kids at the orphanage love having her here as well. We will miss Hannah!
I have been super busy in the last few months, as I am transitioning into a new role here at Shadow. My role for the last 6-8 months has been helping out with the Sponsorship Program at Shadow. I have helped make, organize, and send out mail-outs every two-three months from the kids to their sponsors. I also was in charge of giving out the gifts and letters from sponsors to their sponsor child and emailing a photo of the child receiving it. It has been a great blessing and privilege to be a part of helping with the program and seeing the kids faces when I get to give them something from their sponsor; what JOY it brings them and me too I am thankful for the many things I have learned and to able to work with the sponsorship director, Vanessa Priest. Thankfully the program has seen a huge increase and we are almost at the place where each child has full sponsorship (one of my dreams for this year)! So exciting!
A new development in the last couple months is that Steve and I (with agreement of our kids) feel that our time here is not yet done. We have felt very clearly that we need to stay here and have committed to another year. This comes with much joy, expectancy, excitement, and yet a bit of sadness as we miss all of you back home in Canada. God is in control and knows the plans He has for us, which are the best for us. Part of these plans, are that Steve and I will be in charge of teams who come to Shadow as of the new year. This entails a lot of work in preparing, emailing, organizing transportation, projects, activities, and communicating with people here about what they will be doing, ect. The job description is long, detailed, but quite exciting for Steve and I because we love to work with people. Our passion is to love the kids at Shadow, share the heart of this place, and reach out to other Guatemalans with the love of Christ. It is a big change with a lot of responsibility, but we feel like it is what we are called to do here in this next season. Steve will continue to help with building, maintenance of buildings/property, and other construction projects.
As I write this, I remember how our journey to get here began and how FAITHFUL God has been through it all. He has been with us every step of the way and has taught us so much about who He is and who we are in Him. The times that have been challenging in this first year on the mission field have molded our characters and stretched us, but that is such a good thing. I am so thankful for the opportunity for us as a family to be here in Guatemala serving people for him! It is all for his glory! I was thinking this morning before writing this of a scripture; Matthew 24: 40 “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” We want to live this out and help others, encourage, share, and support as though we are doing it all for Christ! He is why we are here and He called us to love those who He puts in our path.
For another year we will serve and work to the best of our ability as a family here in Monjas, Guatemala. If you want more information or just want to send us an email, please do so. We love to hear from people and it is encouraging to hear about what is going on in your lives as well. We do ask that you please continue to lift us up in prayer and support while we continue on this journey here in Monjas and at Shadow of His Wings. We love you all, appreciate all the support, encouragement, and giving from so many of you back home. THANK YOU and you are in our hearts and we are forever grateful!
Steve, Anna, Jenna, Rachel, Elijah, and Noah Lindberg
Some prayer requests:
- To keep our marriage and family strong, close and united!
- That we would make a positive impact wherever we go!
- That God would continue to provide for our practical needs.
- On Jan.8th at Christian Life Assembly we are sharing briefly.
Contact Info:
Email: the6lindbergs@gmail.com
Blog: www.the6lindbergs.blogspot.com
Facebook: Shadow Of His Wings Orphanage
*If you want to partner with us financially, please contact the missions department at Christian Life Assembly, as all funding goes through them (604-530-7344). You can make tax-deductable contributions through C.L.A on their website- www.clachurch.com and go to online giving; missions; other; and then write in the comments “Lindberg Guatemala Projects”. *

Kids Birthdays in another Country!

We four children and three of them have just had their birthdays this last month. It is the first time we have had a family birthday in another country and we did what we could to make it special, fun, and memorable for each one. Elijah was the first to have his birthday here in Guatemala. I had prepared what I could in bringing things from home to make it special; for example the cake mix, chocolate mousse mix and skor bars to make our favorite cake for birthdays "Death by Chocolate", streamers, and balloons. I also bought a few little gifts for each one that I knew they would like from back home. Elijah got a Hero Factoy toy and lego. I made cupcakes for his class at school here. He got to pick where we went for dinner and if he wanted anyone to come. He picked Dominoes which is 30 minutes from our house and he wanted a few of our neighbour kids to come. It was great and we had such a fun time. Simple yet so fun.

Jenna was the next one to have a birthday, only one week later. We put up some new decorations for her in the house, I made cupcakes for her class (different of course then Elijah's), and she got to pick where to go for dinner as well. She picked Dominoes but with only our family. I liked it that it was just us and we had such a nice time. We were so full from dinner we could barely eat up our dessert, which was Death by Chocolate. Jenna wanted the neighbour kids to come for cake, which they loved! The gift Jenna got from us was a new watch. She then gave her old watch to one of the neighbour friends. He liked it as it was blue and sporty. Jenna also recieved a few things from friends back home. Such a great day.

Two weeks later it was Noah's birthday! 3 years old already! WOW! He had been asking everyday since Elijah's birthday if it was his birthday...he even would sing "Happy Birthday" to himself. All Noah wanted and cared about for his birthday and for weeks he was asking us, was a bike. He has never had a bike and he learned one sunday at Shadow of His Wings when he borrowed another boy's bike. Almost everyday when he asked when his birthday was, he said "my birthday, my want a bike". Super cute! Well, Steve got him a bike at a Market in Antigua the weekend before his birthday. I don't think he has really gotten off it since! He loves it! He rides it throughout our house, which thankfully is tile, and out to the back cement area in the backyard. The bike only has handbrakes, which he figured out how to use in the first 30 minutes of riding. He seems so big on it as he flies by. His birthday was fun....it started after his nap with a scavenger hunt throughout the house finding clues and then candy, we went to a different restaurant with the neighbour kids, our friends with their two kids came over with a pinata, and then cake to top it all off. Noah was so hyper and excited from all the sugar, he was just running, jumping and almost bouncing off the walls.

When it was all said and done, I was exhausted. A lot of my time in the last month was to try and make sure my kids had great days and felt special even though we were away from family and friends on their birthdays. I think they all were happy and felt loved and really that is all that matters. My fears that they would be sad, disappointed or upset, were eliminated each time as my kids had great days and didn't ever mention they were sad, upset or missing being at home. Thank the Lord! I was amazed at how kids really just want to know they are loved and special, and the day can be simple and they love it! Now I can enjoy looking back! I am so proud of my kids and thankful for who they are and how they have handled living in another country away from our families and friends. They really are great kids!

An earthquake!

An earthquake hit Guatemala a few days ago in a Department near us. A department is ike a Province in B.C. but much smaller or like a State in the US. I was in the office and felt my chair move a bit and thought to myself it was an earthquake. I asked someone else in the office if they felt anything and he said "no". I thought for sure I had felt something but then maybe it was just my chair. About half an hour later after picking up the kids from school we drove to our friends house to pick Noah up and they asked us right away if we felt the earthquake. There had been another one, while we were driving, and it was a bigger one. We didn't feel that one. Hannah, who is living with us for three months to help us out, was at home and said she felt the bed move. We were all safe and sound. Everone and everything in our town was ok. NO problems, no power outages, no injuries.
Here are some of the stats regarding the earthquakes from Monday Septemeber 19th:
12:00- 4.8
12:34- 5.8
13:17- 4.8
14:30- 4.5
18:22- 4.3
22:30- 5.8
The ones I felt were at 12 and then at 10:30pm. Hannah and our friends felt the 12:34 one. Otherwise we didn't really notice or feel the others. Thankfully! In the Department, Santa Rosa, where the epicenter of the quake was, 3 people died due to a house collapsing and a mudslide. The authorities do not believe there is anything further to worry about. An incident that is sad and we will need to be in prayer for those family members and friends who lost dear ones. We are thankful we are safe and that no others were injured or killed. So if you were wondering or heard about the earthquakes, there you go. That is as much info as I have. We love you all and feel safe and thankful. All we can do is pray, trust God, and be wise.

Some time off....

Just wanted to write about a few things we experienced while in Canada for four weeks. We had to leave Guatemala, due to the visa regulations (having to leave the country every 6 months), and so we headed back home. The kids were so excited to see all their cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and of course some of their friends. It was great for Steve and I to be able to visit, catch up with people and also share about all our experiences in Guatemala from the previous 6 months.
Some things we did while back home:
-spoke at church, went to an incredible wedding of friends of ours in Edmonton (just Steve and I, which was so refreshing and fun), celebrated each of our kids birthdays, went to the beach, went for walks and played at the parks near where we used to live, had doctor and dentist appointments, ect. and lots of fun times visiting!
We were so blessed by everyone and realized how truely blessed we really are. So many great people and support in our lives! Thanks to everyone who took the time to be with us, encourage us, and pray for us. We love you all! If we didn't get to see you, we still value and appreciate you so much. We know we could not be where we are without a team of people around us.
I loved to be able to have hot showers whenever I wanted, without wondering if there would be water, to brush our teeth with the tap water, but almost the nicest thing was to do laundry quickly and with a dryer too! Funny how when you grow up with these things, you don't even think about it. When you live somewhere where those things are not a given and often are not even possible it makes you so appreciative of them. I was amazed how fast I could do my laundry....here it takes about a day per load, if there is water!
Something else I realized while back in Canada, was that there are so many options: restaurants, roads, playgrounds, entertainment, even in the grocery store...whole isles just of different types of air fresheners....why? It was strange to me that we need, or think we need, so many options for everything. I guess that is what happens in a consumer driven place. I enjoyed it, questioned it, and then missed the simplicity of Guatemala and the town we live in. I guess having it all, or a lot anyways, isn't the end all be all of life. I knew that, but I saw things in such a new light.
Well, as we prepared to come back to Guatemala, Steve and I both were excited and ready to be back in routine, working, and serving those here who we have come to love so much and who are in many ways our second family. IT was so great to be excited to come back! Absence does make the heart grow fonder and now our challenge is that we have two countries in our hearts that are like HOME! Thankfully God knows our future and where we are to be... He is our hope, strength and joy in it all!

Medical Team....

I am excited to write that a few weeks ago I was able to go out with a Medical Team to help some rural communities. It was a bit of a surprise that I was able to go with them and such a gift to me. I used to be a Registered Nurse in B.C. and worked up until I had Rachel (my second child). Since that time I have wondered when or if I would go back one day and if I would remember any of the skills or knowledge I had back then. Well, during the week I realized that it would be good to go back one day and that I truely love to help people when they are sick or in pain.

The team was here for the first time from New York. It was the first time I met them, and yet we got along great and they were such kind people. Each morning we left around 8am and drove to a little village and spent either the morning or the whole day there. We had a triage area, where we took their info, vitals, and weights. Then the people met with either a Pediatrician or a Doctor, for further help, advice and prescriptions of medicine. The people we met were such friendly and appreciative people and I just loved meeting them. So many of the problems were related to bad water, hard work/labor, smoke from the fires they cook over all day long....most things we don't face at home. So many women suffered from headaches, shoulder/back, knee pain, which is most often related to huge piles of wood that they carry either on their heads or on their backs with fabric holding it in place on their foreheads. They work so hard! We met one man who was 86 years old and he still works everyday, lond days, in the fields. Hard to imagine that back home....but that is the reality here. No retirment plan, pension, or social assistance in any of these areas, let alone medicine or medical help nearby.

It was an honor to be out there, trying to help, and listen to each person and what they were going through. The team helped approximately 60 people each day, with much attention and care. A great way to tangibly show Christs love to people. I hope to have the chance to do this again one day and look forward to seeing the people from the New York team again. Blessings to all who read this and remember how blessed we are to have access to medical care if needed. Love ya!

Our Cowboy Experience....in Guatemala!

My parents were just here for a couple weeks and we were able to do some fun and different things with them. One of those experiences we had was a Cowboy Event. It was about 10 minutes from our house on the outskirts of town where many farmers live. As we headed for the place we heard the event would take place, I wondered to myself, "What is this going to be like?". As we pulled up to a large property we were greeted right away by a local pastor, an American (who does Cowboy Ministries throughout Guatemala), and one of the organizers from another city in Guatemala. They were so welcoming and kind to my parents, our friends and the kids. There were about 10 cowboys on their horses and nothing really happened for about 30 minutes, which is kind of common here. Then people just kept coming, from who knows where, and more and more cowboys too. There was probably around 15 cowboys when it really began. They started the event with sharing about Christ and how you can be a cowboy and know Christ as Lord and Savior. Then there were some kids relay races and they had a chance to try lasoo a barrel too. Elijah, Noah and Rachel all ran in a relay- so fun for them! Then the cowboys did some competitions, which we so neat to watch. During all this time my dad was taking pictures from all parts of the property. At one point the owner of the property's son came riding his huge horse and asked if any kids wanted to try. This kid was not 12 or 13 but 5 years old and incredible on this huge horse. Noah was thrilled, got on right away, and rode with the other little boy for at least 10 minutes. Elijah had a turn too! So fun to do things like this with our kids and my parents! We ended up being there watching different races and competitions for at least 2 hours. Each person we met was so kind and friendly. Who would of thought we would be at a cowboy event in Guatemala with my parents and my kids! You never know what life will throw at ya! Enjoy each moment and savor the memories!

The Roof....

About a month ago, Steve was able to see one of his dreams come true. It all began a year ago, when Steve and I were in Guatemala and we went to visit a place that was in need of some food, as they were in a major drought. The House Dads had been looking for places that were really affected by the drought and found this place, called Flor del Cafe. It was a village made up of about 12-15 families. They were given food provisions and we got to be a part of it! The village really impacted us because the people were so organized with the way they layed out their homes and the land they lived on. We loved to be there with the people and had an amazing experience.
Last July, we went there again with our kids, handed out some clothing, food, and did a few crafts with all the kids. I loved to be able to see my kids first hand just playing and loving on the kids from this village. A kid is a kid, no matter where you are from or what your upbringing is like. So great! On this visit, we found out that the village had a teacher that would come and teach all their kids, but they didn't have anywhere to meet. Steve felt led to find a way to help. The leader of Flor del Cafe told us they could build the building(out of clay/dirt bricks dried in the sun), but they were not able to get the roof. They had even approached the Mayor of the area and he was not able to assist them in any way. Steve found out it would only be a few hundred dollars to get the metal roof. He said he would get them the roof once they built the building.
Well, the building was completed just over a month ago and Steve and some of the house Dad's were able to go help and put the roof on. It was amazing to see the pictures afterward. To see how a village did what they could and then we were able to come along side them and see something they wanted for their kids happen. Now Flor del Cafe has a school building and the teacher can come teach their children. There is already a group of Guatemalan youth that will be going and helping with school supplies and doing a Vacation Bible School with all the kids(about 40 or so). So beautiful to see all of us working together and loving each other.

The Crazy Bug!

Well today we had a fun discovery! We went to say hello to some friends here and they told us to come in. They also told us they wanted to show us something. We had no idea what it was and then we saw IT! It was the biggest, oddest, unique insect we have ever seen! Steve and I realized the kids would love to see it, so we returned later with the kids and our camera. Even our friends, who are Guatemalan, had never seen this insect before and didn't know what it was or if it was dangerous.
The kids were amazed and so curious when they saw it! Noah kept going closer and closer and yet we didn't know if it was safe to go close. So I took a ton of photos and the kids and I began investigating, once we were at home. We found out it was a Giant Harlequin Beetle, commonly found in tropical places, living in trees (especially fig trees or dying, decaying trees). It is not supposed to be dangerous or poisonous to humans as it feeds off trees and sap. I have never in my life seen a beetle quite like this one! So fun to learn and live the experience- just part of our adventure here!

Almost three months....update!

I can't believe I haven't written in so long and that we have almost been here three months. The time sure has escaped us as we have been very busy here. It is exciting to see how we have settled in to a routine, found friends, have our favorite spots, and we are already looking forward more great experiences.
In our first three months we have learned a lot of important things about this country, culture, ourselves, and the place we are serving in. So often it seems when we think we have it all together, God brings change, and we have to rely on Him, ask Him for help and guidance. It is such a good thing to have change in our lives, even when it is challenging or hard at times. I am so thankful for the changes in our lives that God has brought about and the changes we have experienced here so far. We still have a ton to learn.
There are so many fun and great things about living in Guatemala. I will list some off as there are so many that I can think of right now: 1 pound of fresh strawberries for less than a dollar, sunshine everyday, kind people, learning a new language, kids playing soccer outside with the neighbour kids, cheap yummy icecream often, eating every meal together as a family, going to the pool in town for free, enjoying fruit from our backyard, and most of all feeling God leading us everyday. We are in the place God wants us and it is so fullfilling to be here, serve and love the people!
If you are reading this and wondering where God wants you or if He is asking something of you, look to Him, read the Bible, and pray! He will show you, guide you, and be with you every step of the way- no matter how old you are, what stage of life you are in, or where you are at financially- God's plan is perfect and He wants to use you! That is exciting! We hope our lives will encourage you to obey God, serve Him, and follow His call- it can be to reach out to your neighbour, your family memebers, your boss, or to another place.... He first loved us that we would extend that love to others. We love you all and pray you will be encouraged today!

15th Birthday Party....

We just had a big weekend with the Quinceaneras Party (when girls turn 15) with over 180 people at Shadow of His Wings... and 8 girls to celebrate their special birthday. It is a huge deal here in Guatemala and for many of the girls they did not think they would ever have a celebration like they had, because of their circumstances before coming to the project.
They were so excited about their big day, getting to pick out their dresses, shoes, and they got to have their hair done, toes painted and make-up too. I was thrilled to be able to put together a video of the girls, full of pictures of them over the years and put it to music. It was fun to learn something new and be a part of it all.... it went well and the girls liked it. The night began with the house parents walking in their daugther, the mother then changed the girls shoes as a sign of not being a little girl anymore, and then they sat at a head table. Later on in the night the house father gave his daugther a ring as a symbol of purity and that she is precious. There was live music and worship by band from a nearby town. We got to enjoy dinner and dessert, which is when the video played. It was such a touching and special night!
Right now we are doing a lot of things as a family and the party was no excetion. Throughout the party Steve and I kept switching Noah from one lap to the other and chasing, watching or trying to distract him and that's when the quote came "life without a sitter". Yep, no sitter here yet, and no real time away from our kids, pretty much 24/7 between the two of us. The kids did great and liked the food and dessert too. One of the girls we sponsor turned 15 which was so special for us too... she looked beautiful and so grown-up.... a young woman now.
I feel honored to be a part of these girls lives and thankful to God to be able to be available, help, support in whatever way I can to help them become women who love God, love others and love who they are!

Adventures.....

It is crazy to think we have been here almost a month already! There have been some amazing experiences and some challenging ones too. So far we have been able to visit some rural villages, spend time with house parents and their kids, show my mom around town and get acquainted with a new town. The challenges we have faced have been small and large, but we have gotten through most of them..... others will be a process, but are part of the journey!
Some fun things about living here- hanging laundry out and it is dry in less than an hour; meeting new people all the time who are very friendly; driving on the other side of the road if necessary and no one bats an eye; garbage collection three times a week; starting to understand more and more spanish; seeing the kids learn another language; kids rollerblading in the house; cows and horses walking along the streets; discovering things in the market that I didn't think they had here; plants/trees in our backyard that I never imagined I would ever have (almond tree, mango, papaya, lime, lemon, cilantro, and palm trees)!
Some big hurdles/challenges we've faced- Elijah waking up with croup in the middle of the night- it was really bad and scary, but thankfully I remembered what to do; all-over body rash on Noah and not sure what from; feelings of being overwhelmed with leaning a new language; figuring out how to do things in a new country & culture; challenged by homeschooling for the first time and not feeling very confident; Steve discovering a hole in a tooth- needing a root canal; a couple of the kids freaking out about going to school here.... but through all these things, we know we are where we are supposed to be.
I have been reminded through all these things, hard and challenging, good and fun, that God is with us every step of the way. If we continue to look to Christ for wisdom, direction, and strength when we are weak, we can do anything through him! Steve and I (and the kids) know that God has something for us to do here. I am honored and privaledged to serve at Shadow of His Wings and be a part of a beautiful place full of beautiful people. What is life without helping others, living through hardships, and coming through it all to know we've done what the Creator of this world has asked us to do....nothing can compare. We have to remind ourselves daily that God will be our strength and to stay focussed on why we are here, not what is trying to get in the way and distract us from His plan.
Finally, I am so happy that we have experienced some breakthroughs. Our kids are feeling more and more at home here and making friends too. Today after picking them up from school, they all said they loved it and it wasn't too hard. I am so thankful for that! It is hard to see your kids struggle, but when you know they are safe, surrounded by great teachers and kids, and it is such a gift to learn another language, it is a relief when they begin to enjoy it and feel more comfortable! The kids are healthy again and Steve really likes the Dentist (which is a good thing with a few more appointments to come to fix his tooth... root canal this monday)! So, thanks for all the prayers many of you have sent our way- we can't do this without all of you too.... you are a part of our adventure and we are so thankful we are not alone!
Love you all, The Lindbergs

First Week In Guatemala!

Well we have now been here one week! Where to begin..... hard to say. It has been a full week of setting up the house we rented. We landed in Guatemala City last Monday night and then tuesday we searched through some stores in the city to pick up some essentials that you might not find in Monjas (the town we are living in now). We also picked up the furniture that we were able to preorder in the city with a milk truck that friends of friends in Monjas arranged for us! We were quite the site- tired, five buggies full of stuff in the Guatemalan Walmart, 16 hockey bags, a loaded milk truck, ect. We then drove 2 1/2 hours to our new town- thankfully Noah fell asleep- and we went to see our new rental house and unloaded some of the hockey bags, furniture, and looked around. The adventure truely began our first day here!
The next day we went to a nearby town, more like a city, and picked up some groceries and basics for the house and everyday life.... most things we were able to find, but they just look different. I was pleasantly surprised to find things that I thought we wouldn't be able to get here! Steve also stopped at a hardware store to get some shower curtain rods, and random tools that he wasn't able to fit in a hockey bag. It was nice to have our friend Julia help us find things and translate for us- she is Guatemalan and serves as a translator at the oprphanage and is now living with us here!
Day 3 was full of cleaning our house, getting around town in a tuc tuc (a little three-wheeled taxi), trying to figure out how to connect a heater for the shower (called a Widow Maker as you can be electricuted if you touch it while showering), and writing lists of things we still need to get to get our house in order.... meanwhile everything around us is in another language- wow- we can only speak a little and basics so it has some challenges, but it is exciting to try to pick out words and we are ready to learn more! We all felt really tired this day and wondering when we would feel settled! We were still sleeping at the team house at this point as we still didn't have a fridge or stove and we still had to put together beds for the kids.
Day 4- In the morning we got to bring the kids to visit the school at Shadow of His Wings, called Liberty Christian School, where they will be going in the mornings (7:30-12). It was so great and encouraging to be with the kids there and see all the girls and boys playing together and just being at S.O.H.W. I just love being there and it was my mom's first time meeting the kids from the orphanage! We then went back to the team house, cleaned up, and moved our stuff from there to the rental house (just our things we had been using) and Julia's stuff as she had been living at the team house for the last 8 months she has been working at Shadow of His Wings. It took a couple trips with a pick-up that a friend at the orphanage lent us over lunch break. The rest of the day was full of organizing and figuring out details of life here.... good but just a bit overwhelming so far. Steve went to find a vehicle to rent from a friend of a friend of ours here and an hour later he came back with a nice truck that we are able to rent on a day-by-day basis, so we can get around here. We then treated ourselves to dinner out at a really great restaurant in town called Carolina's, whose owner used to live in North Carolina! Good food, not expensive, and nice to relax and just chat!
Day 5- Saturday we were able to go with some of the girls from S.O.H.W. and two house dads to pick up 40 chickens that people from our church, Christian Life Assembly, donated money to buy to give to needy families in this area- they were egg-laying chickens with feed for each. It was a great experience and I am so thankful that we got to be a part of it! A blessing beyond words to some of those families and to a nursing home in Monjas too. One woman told us that she had prayed that someone would come in a truck and pray with her.... an answer to her prayers and the blessing of continual food from the chicken- amazing! Thank you Jesus for letting us be a part of your plan here and for those at CLA who wanted to help people here have food to eat! There were so many more incredible people we got to meet and it was amazing to be able to pray for them, their families and ailments.
Day 6 Sunday we got up and went to church at the project... my mom's first time and our first time as regulars. It was great to be back and the kids all went to sunday school. I like the passion and enthusiasm that Guatemalan's have when they preach and yet they are humble and honest. It was a simple yet impacting service. At one point, the house dad who was preaching shared about something that we had been talking about just the night before at our house with Julia and my mom... I love it when that happens. After the service we visited briefly and then headed home, only to find out we had locked ourselves out of the house. It took almost two hours for the landlord to come with a garage door opener to let us in (which we now have all the time).... so off to Carolina's for lunch and thankfully they were open. Not too many places are open on Sundays here. It all worked out and the rest of the day the kids relaxed, played, rollerbladed in the garage and storeroom in the house and the rest of us puttered and got stuff done around the house.
Day Seven Monday- Got up at 6am and got the kids up at 6:30 to get ready for their first day of school. A big adjustment from home: new school, only spanish, and different routines. They were nervous but excited. We got there right at 7:30 and they met their teachers and in they went to their seperate classes without a hitch. I was so proud of how they just walked right in and joined their classmates. The kids are so kind and friendly, which helped a ton. Steve and I had a meeting with Carroll, who is the Executive Director at S.O.H.W and it went really well. We then walked around the grounds to check out some things Steve will be working on and then it was time to pick up the kids. They said they liked it but it was hard too.
I am thanking God that the kids have adjusted well so far and that we all see that God wants us here and He will help us stay focused, figure out the details of everyday life, and sustain us through it all.

Amazing Support!

I am in awe right now of how blessed my family is! We just experienced an incredible weekend with so many of our close family and friends sending us off! Two going-away parties, tons of encouraging cards & emails, gifts, kind words, and just the understanding that we are not alone in this adventure! Thank you so much to all of you in our lives! It is so great to see people that you haven't seen in a long time and how you can pick up where you left off.... and just so good to see them! I also was reminded today of the beautiful heritage I have with all the Swedes in my life. I grew up without relatives nearby (as my parents immigrated to Canada from Sweden before I was born), and so my parents Swedish friends became family. They are amazing people who I admire, look up to, and am very thankful for. They have walked with, lived for, and trusted God and been a great example to me. All the people we have seen in the last few days have reminded us of the privaledge and gift it is for us to go to Guatemala and live out what God has called us to do!
The last few weeks have been insanely busy with trying to sell our house, having open houses, showings, truck problems, homeschooling, and packing up..... the list of things to do is overwhelming at times, but the purpose is what keeps us going with our heads held high! We know all the lists, running around, working hard to stay organized and on top of everything is to get us to our final destitnation! So, just a quick note to say thanks so much for all the encouragement! Also, we would not be so excited and encouraged in all the craziness, if we did not have God to lean on and get us through the days. Thankfully He is in all this and knows our needs, struggles, and tiredness...... Talk to you soon with a new update and hopefully some answered prayers regarding our house! Love you all! Shalom!

Sponsorship and How it changed our lives.....and can change yours too!

  Sponsorship..... it has changed our lives!  It began when Steve was maybe 18 and he decided to sponsor a pastor through Gospel for Asia (which is an incredible organization).  I always wanted to help out somehow and so when Steve and I got married we began with sponsoring some kids through different organizations.  I began writing each child a few times a year and we were happy to know that our little contribution was hopefully helping our child and their family.  I always wished that I could see how it really helped them or at least where they lived and what life was like for them.
  Well, when I went to Guatemala and Shadow of His Wings for the first time, I knew I needed to sponsor some of the girls there.  The way the orphanage is set-up is amazing, with house parents, a great school, opportunities for the girls to reach out to other communities.  The people that work/serve at S.O.H.W. are full of love, hope, compassion, and care so much for each child that comes.  I made some instant connections with a few girls that had helped our team with a Vacation Bible School we did.  So when I returned home last November, I looked into sponsoring two girls right away. We were able to sponsor the girls and I wrote letters right away and prayed for them.  When I returned in January, I was amazed at how the relationship that began in a few short days in November just flourished and became something really special.  In being a sponsor I was able to spend some extra time with the girls and we had some great times together, sharing pictures, stories, just laughing together and playing sports too!  There is something so special about knowing the child/teen you are sponsoring- you feel so invested in their lives, wanting to know how they are really doing, and because I got to see where they lived and what they had come from, it was incredible!  I just loved these girls and felt like they were family to me- truly like my daughters and I know God made that happen! 
  Each time I have visited I have had the opportunity to spend time with the girls, three now, that we sponsor and I love that I am involved in their lives, praying for them, playing games and having fun with them, and knowing that hopefully us moving there will help them to feel like family with us as well.  When we went to visit with our family this past June, our kids just loved them so much and my girls even wrote cards to our sponsor girls saying "Thank you for being my big sister and I love you so much!" 

  I believe that even if you never have a chance to go to Guatemala, you would be making a huge investment and difference in the life of a child who needs you there.  They are just like our own kids, who need love, care, hope, and to know that someone believes in them.  They do receive amazing care in their homes at the orphanage, but the need of sponsorship is there and the girls really do appreciate it and feel special when someone sponsors them!  If you have any questions about sponsoring please contact Vanessa Priest by email at shadowsponsor@gmail.com or check on their website for more info at http://www.shadowofhiswingsorphanage.org/ !

  I am writing this to encourage any of you, that sponsorship really does make a difference and can change these kids lives and your life too.  I love that we have kids in another part of the world and that they are a part of our family too, especially when you know of some of their stories..... when a child is abandoned, orphaned, and/or abused and someone chooses to love them, support them, reach out and invest in them- I think it shows them that they are important and that they do have someone out there who really does care!  We can be God's hands and feet and reach out to these special kids or others out there!