Guadelupe

I have been remiss in posting to the blog lately - sorry friends! The kids have been dying to share some pics of our cute new bunny! Here is Guadelupe Mendoza Radford. (Anna Kate picked her name from a book called "The Boy at the Alamo" - Lupe was a character in the book)

CUTE!

During school, Lupe loves to find a warm sunbeam for napping.

Lupe is so cute. She hops all over the house. She LOVES her veggies - radishes, beets, carrots, greens, cabbage and apples. She lives in a dog kennel with a loft. She is so sweet and cuddly. She also loves to lick us! So far, she doesn't seem to chew on cords and cables. Gracias a Dios!

Psycho-stalker Kitty - goes from door to door meowing. She wants our bun-bun!

High rise, deluxe apartment.

So sweet and tiny...

Cuddle buns!

Kisses!

Relaxing in the backyard. Lupe enjoys munching grass!

Chains Be Broken

Have you ever heard the Hillsong United song “You’ll Come?”  Probably so, it’s a popular worship song sung in churches around the world.  I think I first heard the song as a part of the ECHO ministry at North Metro Church, our home church in Marietta, Georgia.  The opening lines go like this…

Chains be broken…

Lives be healed…

Eyes be opened…

Christ is revealed…

If you have been in the church world for some 

The Kids at Eagle's Nest

time those are familiar words and biblical concepts.  For me, those four lines sum up God’s grace as he sacrificed his son and exchanged his son’s life for mine (and yours).  I had chains that needed breaking – my chains were rooted in self-image.  I was so caught up in what other people thought of me, and my career was a heavy chain that needed a loving God to break.  I heard a pastor once say there are two types of people in the world – those that have been wounded and those that have been wounded more.  I can relate to that, I have wounds that have been healed and I have wounds that are still healing.  One day, by the grace of God as he pursued me, my eyes were opened to his love, his grace, his forgiveness, and my need for a savior.  At that moment Christ was reveled to me.

So where am I going?  For several weeks I have been praying those four lines for the children that live at Eagle’s Nest.  Each child that we have in our home is dealing with issues related to abandonment.  Generally speaking children that live in orphanages in Guatemala have at least one parent.  Children end up in orphanages for issues related to abuse and extreme poverty.  No matter the reason for a child being in an orphanage, each child deals with the chains that weigh them down and keeps them from knowing Christ as their savior.  These sweet children carry a heavy burden.  They deal with shame, guilt, anger, and bitterness.  All of these issues conspire against them and keep their eyes closed.

Would you join me in praying for the 17 children that live in the Eagle’s Nest home?  Pray for each child that their…

Chains be broken…

Lives be healed…

Eyes be opened…

Christ is revealed…

Thank you God for loving us. 

LPR

The Long Drop....

Well, my friends, it finally happened. I have finally fallen off the 1st world map and experienced the long drop to 3rd world reality today. Some of you are wondering what the "long drop" is and others are wishing you didn't know what it is.... the long drop is also known as a privy or an outhouse. It's an outdoor venue for business I would rather conduct indoors....with a real door for privacy....running water....TP and any other civilized conveniences that I feel suit the situation. So, you might be wondering what was the occasion for such an adventure....well, I went to church....that's right - church.

This morning, we joined several friends at the new home of Mike & Adele. Did I mention that their home is still under construction? They have been building their home for about 8-9 years here in Panajachel. They believe in paying as you go, so they have been working on it for quite a while. They have walls and two roofs (the last one pending), but there are no windows, flooring, kitchen or bathrooms. Mike & Adele like to camp up there sometimes and they literally, set up tents inside the house. They have tucked this new home right into the hillside which overlooks the river, Pana and the lake. It's an amazing place. Recently, Mike built a "long drop" - which is exactly what it's name indicates - a deep hole and a toilet seat, black plastic sheeting for privacy and the wild outdoors.

Sitting in the future living room, singing and worshipping.

We met at the Robert's home for church. We decided to meet there because, we wanted to have a picnic after church and this is really a lovely location for a picnic. Adele has a beautiful voice and a more beautiful heart as she plays her guitar and we sing worship to the Lord. Then we set up a laptop on a chair and watched a downloaded sermon. After hearing the Word, we had "lunch on the grounds"...er in the the open/indoor/outdoor kitchen. This is such a sweet time of worship and fellowship. It's very simple, not fussy, not professional but it is genuine and sincere worship of the King.

Lungi playing the ukulele, Kasia, Anna Kate & Parker.

Sometimes I look at the life we have here and I think, wow it's a long drop from where I used to be. I used to have a big, beautiful house, with three and half bathrooms (all with doors and running water). I used to go to a really beautiful church, with tons of bathrooms (doors and water included). It was a beautiful life and I loved it.

The funny thing is...I don't really miss it. Sure, sometimes I miss our home and our church, mostly I miss the people not the places. Many people would say, I have made a long drop on the social and economic ladder, but I don't see it as a "drop" as much as a change in latitude. (and attitude....sounds familiar...might be time to dig up some JB tunes)

So what's my point? Why do I go on so...I am learning that a life yielded is a life worth living. Submitting to the Lord's call on our life has brought new friends, new homes, new foods, new language and new ways of life. I wouldn't trade this adventure for life back in the 1st world....even it means a few long drops along the way.

What does "doing church" mean?

A couple of days ago, I had the privilege of driving into the city to pick up our dear friends, Rich & Cheryl Buhre from the airport. Lee wasn't able to go and he didn't want me to drive alone. So, a new friend, Adele was kind enough to go with me. It was such a treat to spend some one-on-one time together. As we were returning from the city with the new arrivals, we had an interesting conversation about church. Adele commented "I don't like the phrase - doing church - what does that mean? We are the church, we don't do church?" (You will have to imagine hearing her lovely South African accent) As we drove and talked, we covered many topics, but that one stuck in my mind.

Church is definitely one of the things we miss most about being in the USA. We long for fellowship and community worship in our heart language. We miss the kind of teaching that challenges, chastens, encourages, spurs, exhorts, convicts and changes us. Our kids miss their teachers and friends from their Sunday morning classes. We have been worried about what church will look like for our family here in Panajachel. We pray and wait - knowing the Lord is faithful.

Before the end of our drive back to Pana, we all decided that maybe we could come together for an informal worship gathering on Sunday morning. So our three families met in a small, but cozy and intimate room. Adele played her guitar and we sang worship songs together. We watched a down-loaded sermon. Nothing fancy, but let me just say this - the Lord inhabits the praise of his people. He came and met with us. What a sweet time of fellowship, teaching, worship and prayer. Once again, the Lord has provided for us in a way that we could not imagine or ask for. He is so faithful to us, in spite of our unfaithfulness to Him. We are the church, we are the body - created in His image for his glory and his renown. What does church mean for you?

A Year End Review

At the end of 2009, we decided to follow the call of God and move our family to Guatemala. 2010 was the year of big decisions and major change for the Radford family. As I took down the 2010 calendar and replaced it with the 2011 - I thought it would be interesting to flip through the pages to review the year. Here are some highlights!

JANUARY - We started the New Year at the Passion conference in Atlanta. God has used that event to inspire and grow vision in us about our ministry here in Guatemala. We also spent several weeks preparing our house to be sold. We also took our very first support raising trip to Florida.

Our home on Amberton Lane!

FEBRUARY - 17 days after our house went on the market, we had a contract!  WHOA! When God says GO he means it! We spent time training and equipping 18 college students for a Spring Break trip to Guatemala. It was also a month of goodbyes with our dear friends the Browns - who answered God's call to move to Washington, DC.

MARCH - We spent 2 weeks in our new homeland - the first week with 18 college students! We adore each and everyone of them! The 2nd week we looked at housing, Spanish schools - preparing the way for our big move. Upon returning the the states, we moved out of our house and into the Brown's empty house for four months.

Students working on a new home for Guatemalan family.

(That is their current home in the background)

APRIL - The highlight of the month was our big trip to Williamsburg and Washington DC. Our family of four joined the Brown family of six in their tiny apartment. It was a tight fit, but we loved every minute!! We especially loved biking  to the monuments.

At the WWII memorial in DC.

MAY - The kids and I went to visit my brother in SC for his graduation from college. As we wrapped up the 4th and 2nd grade - we enjoyed several outings with the homeschool group and year-end parties.

JUNE - I returned to Washington, DC with 2 friends for a girls trip to visit Gay Brown. What a treasure to be with my kindred spirits and bosom friends! Lee & I also had the opportunity to go to Kerrville, TX for training with our mission agency Commission to Every Nation (CTEN). We were able to spend some one-on-one time with our ministry partners, Felis & Pedro Patlan.

JULY - We made a trip to Florida to see my family before the big move - the beginnings of the long goodbye. The calendar shows lots of dinners with friends. We made several outings to our favorite places with our favorite people - Aquarium, Coke Museum, Tellus Museum and more. We took a family trip with Lee's mom and brother's family to Chattanooga. We saw more aquariums and musuems...fun memories with the family. Our last week before leaving the country, we spent at the beach in St. Simons - just the four of us. What a welcome retreat after a long, exhausting but precious season of leaving home.

The Radford Clan in Chattanooga.

Patty, Beth, Blanton, Benjamin, Angel, Lee, Parker & AnnaKate

AGOSTO - On the 4th of August, four Radfords and 13 bags boarded a one-way flight bound for Guatemala City. Cultural assimilation began immediately - language school started on the 9th. We learned to get around town without a car, how to shop for groceries and made new friends.

La Merced Cathedral in Antigua.

SEPTIEMBRE - The calendar shows lots of check marks - which is how the kids ticked off the days of language school. Most of the month was spent in language school and getting used to RAIN, RAIN and more RAIN. The best thing that happened this month was meeting another family of missionaries in language school - our new friends, the Ericksons!

New friends!

OCTUBRE - I participated in teaching at a Women's Retreat at Eagle's Nest. What fun to spend time with Guatemalan women studying the Word together. One highlight of the month was our first visitor from home - Lee's mom, Patty arrived. The kids were thrilled to see Mimi - and the huge pile of loot she managed to get in her bags. We loved showing her around our new home.

NOVIEMBRE - GRADUATION from language school. Praise the Lord! We loved our teachers, but that was one of the hardest things we have ever done. Studying a new language for 4 hours a day is not for sissies. We celebrated Thanksgiving with our friends the Ericksons and many more. Our friends, the Everswicks visited us at our new home in Panajachel. We were so encouraged and blessed by our time with their whole family,

DECIEMBRE - Our first trip home! We returned to the US for about 2 weeks. We were able to accomplish a ton of work, but the real treat was spending time with family and friends. (Also eating at Chickfila) We celebrated Christmas here in Pana and hosted my parents until New Year's.

Dining alfresco by the lake.

As I reflect on the year, I see God's grace and mercy throughout. It was a year of counting the cost for obedience. We had a lot to lay on the altar. Was there pain in the offering?  Absolutely, but the blessing of obedience always exceeds the cost. We have no desire to go back and change our decisions. We are privileged to see his affirmation of this calling in many of our memories of 2010. As we look into 2011, we see the real work, sometimes hard work lies ahead. Our peace, comfort and courage come from knowing this -  if our God is for us, then what can stand against us.

Exploding Watermelon

Some blogs do not need a lot of explanation.  There is a 14 year old boy in every man.  See for yourself.

Exploding Watermelon Video

Our First Christmas - Guaty style

Feliz Navidad mi familia y amigos! What does Christmas look like in Guatemala? Here's how we celebrated this year....

Christmas Party - We enjoyed attending the staff Christmas party at Eagle's Nest this week. We made a rookie mistake...we showed up a little early. What were we thinking? The party was in the children's home, so we had plenty of time to hang out and play with the kids. It was loud and chaotic but oh so fun and festive. We had dinner, played games and shared gifts. We can't wait to get to know the staff better this coming year.

The staff of the children's home and the guards!

Christmas baking - The kids and I decided to make some Christmas cookies for our neighbors in our new neighborhood. We haven't had much opportunity to introduce ourselves yet. What better way to meet and greet than with a handful of homemade goodies. We were able to find all the ingredients necessary for some yummy Gingerbread cookies. They turned out really great!

Christmas Eve - We delivered our cookies to our neighbors. Later we watched the Christmas Eve service from The Crossing Church - live on the internet! I was worried that it wouldn't feel like Christmas without going to church, but the blessing of technology allowed us to worship with family - my parents were in the same service that we were watching. (The Crossing Church is my parents church in Brandon, FL. They broadcast all their services live on the internet. LOVE IT!) In the evening, we had a really wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. Around 11:45 pm, it sounded like a war zone as the rest of Guatemala lit the night with fireworks. They really know how to celebrate the birth of Christ - at least I like to think that's what they're celebrating.

Christmas Day - Santa found us in Guatemala! Can you believe it??  We spent the morning opening a few gifts and munching on homemade cinnamon rolls. It was such a nice, quiet, peaceful morning. We left for the city shortly after lunch to pick up my parents at the airport. We were ecstatic to see Nina & Big Daddy (it's been 5 1/2 months). We enjoyed a Christmas dinner of hamburgers in the hotel restaurant. That doesn't sound to great to some of you, but it's not easy to find a GREAT burger in Guatemala. I don't understand what's so difficult about making good burgers, but there must be a North American secret to it.

Christmas morning...so fun!

American Girl gets her ears pierced - Guaty style!

Visit from Mom and Dad - We spent the week showing my parents around Pana and Eagle's Nest. We took a boat tour of the lake. We shopped in the markets, ate in a couple great restaurants and enjoyed being together. Mom & Dad gave Parker a collection of Planet Earth puzzles, so we spent many fun/frustrating hours around the coffee table looking for just the right piece. One of the highlights for our children - the FIREWORKS. All week there were several booths in the market selling fireworks. My father, my husband and my son were foaming at the mouth to blow something to pieces. They sell something that looks like a short stick of dynamite - basically that is exactly what it is. They only cost 1Q = 12 cents! As we walked around town, they talked about what they could blow up. A watermelon was finally decided upon. YES - my pyromaniac family actually bought a watermelon, carved a hole in it and blew it to kingdom come! Lee has video which will be available soon.

Nina & Big Daddy come to visit!

Lake tour!

Lakeshore of Pana...

So, how was our first Christmas in Guatemala? We loved it - some things were new and different, but the main ingredients are the same - We were together as a family, we enjoyed some great food, and best of all - we celebrated the coming of our Savior. One of the things I missed from home was receiving Christmas cards and pictures from our friends and family. One of my favorite things, is the slow and peaceful pace of the holidays in Guatemala. All in all - we are blessed and it is our privilege to serve at the pleasure of the King!

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.

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!

Halloween & Day of the Dead

Let's go fly a kite... up to the highest height...

We wondered if and how Halloween might be celebrated in Guatemala...it turns out, they don't really do much. There are some Americans who have imported Halloween, so you see a little bit of decorations and candy, but for the most part it is a non-event. This was just fine with me - we have had many years of fun - dressing in cute costumes and playing with the neighbors.

Our apartment complex has several Americans living here, so they decided to have a little Halloween party on Sunday afternoon. My kids wanted to go and they wanted to dress up. We heard that costumes were available at the Paca (Guatemalan version of Goodwill), so we hauled ourselves down to the mercado to have a look. I was amazed by the sights and smells of the Saturday market. We found a few costumes, but I was not crazy about them - they seemed really dirty and smelly. We kept walking...until we found a table covered with sheets and bedding. We found a really funny sheet for Parker's costume. It was printed with huge $100 dollar bills on it. He cut a face hole and called himself the Ghost of Money Past. We found a nice clean white sheet for Anna Kate. She was a Greek goddess. Two costumes from two bedsheets for $6 total! Can't beat that deal. (BTW- we washed everything before wearing! Gross!) All the neighbors played Halloween bingo, broom stick relays, apple contests and more. The kids got a small bag of candy, but there was no trick-or-treating. No one seemed very disappointed. We all enjoyed a lovely "fall" (warm & breezy) afternoon with the neighbors.

The ghost of Money Past and our lovely Greek Goddess

The following day, November 1st is the real holiday in Guatemala. It is similar to The Day of the Dead, which is celebrated in many Central & South American countries. Fortunately, it isn't as spooky or gloomy as some other countries (No skulls and skeletons) For weeks and months leading up to November 1st, people begin making kites of all sizes. They make them from bamboo and tissue paper. Some are really elaborate and beautiful. Some are very simple. The idea is to write prayers for the dead on the kites and then fly them to heaven. A little strange, but not too creepy. They spend several days ahead of November 1st, cleaning the cemeteries and decorating the graves with fresh pine needles and flowers. Then they fly the kites in the cemetery on the 1st.

A young women adding flowers to a family grave.

A young boy trying to get his kite in the air.

Several friends from language school decided attend this celebration. So we hired a driver to take us to Santiago Sacatapaqez. Our driver walked us through town to the cemetery on the hill. We walked all through the cemetery and saw the most amazing kites! Some of these kites were 10-12 feet across with long heavy tails and flags on top. It was a little scary to see something so large take off - even scarier if it crashed. The largest kites (50 feet across) do not fly, they simply lean against giant posts in the ground. It was an unbelievable sight to see. We saw several break from the weight of the bamboo frames, but they immediately started work on fixing them and eventually had 5-6 really huge kites on display.

These guys are standing on top of a tomb, setting there kite aflight. 

It's about 6 feet across.

This is one of the larger kites.

This is the bamboo structure in back.

The designs are really amazing - made from tissue paper.

The atmosphere was like being at the state fair - loads of people, tons of food vendors, souvenir vendors etc. Yet this huge "party" takes place in the cemetery. The young boys are literally hopping from grave to grave as they chase kites. It was strange, but beautiful at the same time. After the kite festival, everyone goes home to eat "Fiambre", a traditional Guatemalan dish eaten only on November 1st. To me this looks like it has everything AND the kitchen sink in it. It has several different kinds of meats - chicken, pork, fish, sardines, beef tongue, red sausage, black sausage and other mysteries of the sausage world. It contains hard boiled eggs, baby corn cobs, green beans, beets, olives, and more. It is all soaked in a vinegar based dressing for at least a day. I cannot imagine how this dish came about...perhaps it has something to do with the mourning of dead relatives....or joining them soon. I'm not sure.

This is the bamboo framework for the gigantic kites.

Raising one of the giant kites.

This kite was truly amazing. You can see the scale by the people in the corner of photo.

It's no sacrifice to give up our "Halloween traditions." It's one of the few things I didn't miss about being home. We enjoyed learning and experiencing new holidays and celebrations in our new culture.