Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Back in the USA

Well friends, we made our first visit home to Atlanta. We went to all our favorite places - Chickfila, Longhorns, Chickfila, Starbucks, Chili's, Chickfila..... we ate our way through Atlanta, those old North American habits came back with great ease. So many people asked how it was to return home after four months in Guatemala???

First day in town - #1 combo, no pickles w/Coke

Big Bite!

Maybe we should get some advertising kick-backs...

Well, it was easy. It still feels like home. It seemed as if we were on a long vacation and nothing changed much while we were gone. Certainly, there are some changes, but we still feel comfortable there. We don't feel like outsiders yet. Several days into the trip, I kept thinking, "oooohhh, I missed this about home or I loved that, things are so ..... civilized in Atlanta. My southern sensibilities really like it here."

I realized I need to careful in my thinking. If I keep this up, I won't want to go back to my new home. I decided that every time I thought of something I love about being in the US, I had to also think of something about Guatemala that I really love too. It wasn't easy because the things that I noticed are the things that make life in Guatemala hard. After two or three days, I stopped comparing. I enjoyed the US for what it is, knowing that I would return to Guate and enjoy a different but equally blessed life.

Here are a couple things I found to enjoy life in both homes:
1. USA - I like being able to rinse my toothbrush in the sink and drink from the tap. (Unlike most Guatemalans, I am blessed to have access to clean water. I'll take any minor inconveniences that come with it.)
 Guate - I love that I can go to the market and buy a huge bunch of Calla Lillies (or many other flowers) for Q8 = $1.

2. USA - I love driving in the civilized world. (I know you all think that traffic is insane where you live - but I dare you to drive from Pana to the airport in Guate City!)
Guate - I love the slower pace of life here (other than the driving which cannot be considered slow!) I also like walking through town - you see, hear and feel your town and the local people from a completely different perspective than when you are secluded in your private vehicle.

3. USA - I love shopping in clean, well-lit, well-organized and odor-free environments.
Guate - I just walked to the market, where I purchased 2 bouquets of flowers, 2 lbs. of potatoes, 1 lb. of green beans, a pineapple, 5 oranges, 8 jacotes (small fruit) for a grand total of Q43 = $5.50. Then I rode a tuk-tuk home for Q5 = $0.65.

My new market basket along with today's purchases!

So, what do I think after our first trip home - I think God is changing our hearts. We love the USA and we love the life we had there. BUT we also love our new life here Guatemala. It's different, but different isn't bad, it's just different.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Rambling around Guatemala...

It’s been a while since we posted anything. So many things have happened in the last two weeks. Here is the short version.

Juliet, Angel, Anna Kate, Liz, Parker, Lee & Carmen

We graduated from language school. We are not finished; we have a long way to go but we are at the end of our time in Antigua, Guatemala. We will continue with tutors a few times a week for as long as it takes….probably the rest of our lives.

The Turkey - beautiful & delicious!! Todd is an awesome cook!

My Southern Pecan Pie with homemade crust! YUM!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our dear friends, the Ericksons before leaving Antigua. We enjoyed all the classics, Turkey, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, cornbread dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, pecan pie (I made my first pie crust from scratch) & pumpkin pie. It was a divine feast. We are so grateful to our Lord for friends and community which enrich our life.
The view of Panajachel, Lake Atitlan and the volcano as you come down the mountain.


Our new home in Panajachel.

Cozy fireplace and living room.

We moved to our new home in Panajachel. We will be living here and beginning our work at Eagle’s Nest. The Lord has been so generous in blessing us with a beautiful and peaceful new home.

Breakfast with the eSwicks in our dining room. Love the tropical view.

Enjoying a day on the lake with Max & Riley.

Our very dear friends, the Everswicks came to visit us and help us get settled in our new home. We had so much fun moving furniture, unpacking crates, and exploring Pana. They were a great encouragement and blessing to our whole family.
Our huge tree with our homemade ornaments!

We put up our new (artificial) Christmas tree. We don’t have any ornaments yet, so the kids made angels, snowflakes, stars and snowmen. We added candy canes and a big star on top. It looks great!

May the Lord bless and keep you during this season of Joy!