Down by the river....

This weekend our friends introduced us to a family living in the riverbed. Maria and her husband Cosimero had a cinderblock house built on the wrong side of the river wall. Under normal circumstances, say 98% of the year, the river is a hundred yards away from their house. Cosimero works in the river - he harvests and sells rock and sand. A couple weeks ago, the rains came down and the floods came up. The raging water washed all the sand from under the house and it came crashing down.

You can see the crumbles of old house in the foreground.

The new house is just wood, lamina, chicken wire and fabric.

A blessing: the family had evacuated and no one was injured. They have built a temporary home out of lamina (corrugated metal) and wooden boards. The one window is covered with chicken wire and there is no door, only a blanket to keep out the cold. There are three beds for their family of six, in a room that measures about 10 x 12 feet. I remember hearing a statistic one time that said most of the world lives in less square footage that most Americans have in their SUV cars. I believe in this case, it might be true. So what would it be like to live as a family of 6 in my Toyota Land Cruiser. (I'm pretty sure someone might die, not saying who, but someone would.)

This is why Redeemer's House exists. We are compelled to come alongside this family, bearing the light and the hope of Christ. A few of us had the opportunity to sit with Maria in her home, drinking coffee and listening to her life story. I was humbled beyond measure. Before we left, we prayed together. She thanked God for sending us to visit, it increased her faith to know that He hasn't forgotten her. Now my faith is increased - to see exactly why God has called us to this work among the poor.

Climbing a tree at the edge of the river.

We visited Maria again the next day to bring a few needed items - not much - just some beans, rice and apples. We also brought some used but still very good shoes for one of her girls. There have been times when I have asked the Lord, "Why did you choose me to come here and do this?" Now I wonder why I get to do this. What did I do to deserve the privilege of serving here? But that is the paradox... I didn't do anything. I didn't earn this privilege, I simply said yes when He asked. What is He asking you? Are you reluctant to say yes? 

After we visited Maria, we found some kids playing in the river. We went and played for about 2 hours with some of the cutest and sweetest kiddos. I watched them climb trees, play soccer, jump on an old mattress spring, pick flowers and jump rope. My kids were reluctant to leave. What joy and blessing to be used by the Lord. Seriously, if the Lord is asking you to do something you aren't sure about, JUST DO IT! The prize is blessing and glory and honor to the one and only true King!

Irma the monkey!

I went home with loads of fresh picked flowers. So precious!

Mis amigos!

Morning Glory

Last night, while having dinner with friends, we noticed a steady wind blowing. When we left their home, we were jumping for joy at the sight of stars. For the last six months, the stars have been hiding behind rain and clouds. We were hoping it meant sunshine in the morning.

We were not disappointed. We woke up to beautiful, warm sunshine, luscious green trees and of course a morning glory. After nine solid days of rain storms, we could not wait to get outside and feel the warmth of UV rays burning skin cells.

While we were thrilled to get out in the sun, we also wanted to see what the river left behind. Today we walked in the riverbed, where only a few days ago water was raging.

You can see that bulldozers have made a temporary berm of dirt and rocks in an attempt to keep the river in it's banks.

Last week there was water where we are walking. It was rushing against this house.

You can see the bottom layer of small rocks, then sand, then bigger rocks and loose dirt. 

I am astounded by the power of water. We cannot live without water, yet water can also bring death. Erosion is a powerful force. The riverbed is changed, the water flow is changed, people's homes and livelihoods are changed. The difference is profound.

A friend of our's owns this house. It used to have three apartments - now only two. There was a lovely garden out front, where my Spanish teacher, Gladys, was married a couple years ago.

The sandy foundation has been washed away.

This is no longer a safe place to live.

Water is powerful enough to crush concrete, steel and human lives.

When the world around me is shaking, smoldering, flooding, changing ...  here's the one thing I know that I know - God never changes. "There may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning."

Life interrupted....

I know it has been several weeks since I posted - the short story is this; One week we had house guests, the next week we had stomach bug (YUCKY), a weekend trip to Antigua, then we had more house guests, oh yeah and a tropical storm. It's been kinda crazy, but some interesting things are happening.

On Tuesday of this week, Wes & Jama Peterson brought their three wonderful kids to Guatemala for their first family mission trip. (Wes spent 3 years as a missionary kid in Guatemala, so this was a great first trip for his fam.) We had soooo many fun plans for our two families. We had sights to see, food to serve, crafts and Bible stories to tell, people to encourage, ministries to visit.... BUT it rained.... and rained.... and rained some more.

Radford & Peterson kids in Pana.

When I woke up about 5:30 am on Wednesday morning, I could hear this loud rushing sound. At first I thought it was just wind from the storm, but we quickly realized it was the river that runs in front of our neighborhood. We knew this could be a disastrous situation for many people living very close to the river, some actually live in the riverbed.

Lee & Wes headed out to see what was happening around town. Normally, the river is less than 10 feet wide, shallow and mostly peaceful. Wednesday it was 50 feet wide in places and raging, muddy brown filth. You could hear the boulders and rocks crashing together in the river. The force of the water washed away thousands of pounds of sand, dirt,and rocks. We saw several buildings and houses fall into the river. Lee had purchased wood at a little wood mill shop on Tuesday. On Wednesday, that business was completely destroyed and hanging in the river.

The expanded riverbed!

Wood mill shop

As we walked around town and talked to people, we realized a few things. The storm had caused some damage to homes and businesses, the roads out of Pana were closed, school was canceled, and some businesses were closed in order to take shelter from the storm. BUT it doesn't appear there was any catastrophic loss of life or property. People seemed calm and curious, not panicked or distraught. This storm was just another interruption in the daily life of Guatemala. This is normal - storms come, storms go, you clean up and begin again.

Some people asked if we had problems at our home from the storm. We had a few power outages but not for long. The biggest inconvenience during that is the interruption of internet service. We had a window that leaked a small amount of water. It soaked a few stuffed animals - which I threw in the dryer for 20 minutes - problem solved. We had to cancel our plans for the week, since it included driving on the roads and boating across the lake. This forced us to be in the house more than planned with 5 active kids. (The kids got along famously and had a great time!)

Scavenging for wood.

Half the road washed into the river.

I was a little worried that the Peterson's would be disappointed in the experience. Their kids didn't get to do all the great things we had planned. They didn't get to see all the great ministries happening here. They saw a lot of rain, a raging river and they got to play with friends for 3 days. Not exactly the "mission" experience we were hoping for. Yet, they were very flexible and open to whatever the Lord chose to do with our time together.

I have just started a new Bible study called, "Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted." I knew this study would be very applicable to this season of life. Our life in Guatemala has been interrupted by a God-sized call to do something very different than we imagined. I find it bringing perspective to our interrupted week as well as our interrupted life. This morning I read the following: "what we consider an interruption, is actually an invitation to participate in Kingdom purposes... these God-interruptions may not be convenient or easy, but we get the joy and honor of partnering with the Lord in His purposes for his kingdom in this generation. It doesn't mean having no plans or ambitions of our own. It means holding them loosely, always leaving room for 'the word of the Lord' to reshape our purposes." 

I look at what happened this week and I am humbled beyond measure. Most Guatemalans did not plan to have school canceled, businesses closed and the inconveniences of non-stop rain for three days. I experienced some minor inconveniences, but I didn't loose 2-3 days of wages. I didn't worry about feeding my family and house guests. I didn't have water pouring in through the roof or under the walls of my home. When my clothes got soaked, I could throw them in the dryer.

A house that fell into the river. 

I wish we could have done all the things we planned. I wish they weren't interrupted by a big storm, but I know that his purposes are being accomplished in my life, the Peterson's life and the lives of our neighbors. I let go of my disappointment and my plans - and submit to whatever it is the Lord wants me to see in this storm. It's my honor to leave my itinerary behind and pursue the purposes of His kingdom. It's not easy to do, but I'm working on it. What about you? Has God interrupted your life lately?

Re-entry...

Houston, we have re-entry... stand by for culture shock 2.0.

We have been back in Guatemala for four days. One day was spent unpacking, sorting, organizing and purging all the junk/goodies that we imported. One day we drove 7 hours to and from the city to restock the pantry with food, paper products and miscellaneous junk/goodies. One day we went to our home church (AWESOME!!), then unpacked/sorted/organized all the junk/goodies from our trip to the city. Today, we started back to school.

Parker - 6th grade - age 11

Anna Kate - 4th grade - age 9

Here is what I can say about re-entry so far. You know how it feels when you come back from a really great vacation at the beach, and you have to unpack, clean sand off everything, wash laundry, grocery shop, etc. Then you get back to work or school, and you're thinking, "Really, did I go on vacation?" That "back-to-the-office/school" feeling - is exactly how I feel.

As we have driven and walked around town, I keep thinking to myself - "Oh yeah, I remember - lot's of people/bikes/cars/dogs/potholes etc. in the street. Oh yeah, this time of year feels like camping in the rain. Everything takes twice as long here - like trying to find a new car battery that will work in your car. (We suddenly miss Autozone.) Hmmmm, what do I love about this place again?"

Then, I went to the market and I bought 3 avocados, 2 onions, 6 carrots, 8 limes, 2 heads of broccoli, 2 red peppers and more for Q40 - which is about $5.00. That's when I started to remember what I love about living here. Of course, there are many, many more things, but sometimes it's the little things that remind me why I belong here and not in Georgia - where the roads are wide, clean, and smooth but my $5.00 would only buy 2 avocados.

First day with new teacher (well, not new, but I didn't want to say old teacher)

I always love the beginning of a new school year. It's a fresh start - with new books, new pencils, new schedules. But this is a big year for us - we now have a middle schooler. (Oh dear, can it really be true?) It can be overwhelming to think of these next few years. There is another layer of pressure and expectation to prepare him for high school and then university. Am I equipped? Am I enough? Can I really do this? and do it well?

That's when I pull out some of my favorite scriptures:

2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Phillippians 1:6 "being confident of this, He who began a good work in you will be faithful to carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

We are in a place of new beginnings and fresh starts. It feels good to be looking at the next year with new ideas, new perspectives and new opportunities. I am confident of this - whatever he has called us to, he has given us everything we need, and he is working toward his purposes in our life for His glory. We feel the peace and joy of the Lord (in spite of the reality) as we begin a new chapter of life in Guatemala. Let's hear it for year numero dos.

Lazy days of summer.....

I cannot believe our five weeks in the US is almost over. It’s been a crazy pace. We have driven nearly 3,500 miles, which makes for approximately 50+ hours in the car. We drove from FL to GA to NC to VA to PA to SC to GA to FL. We decided to spend our last few days relaxing at the beach.

Anna Maria Island at Sunset

The other night, we took the kids to see a turtle release at sunset. The turtle patrol recovered eggs from a nest that was disturbed during a recent storm. After they hatched, they release the baby turtled on the beach where they were laid. We watched twelve tiny loggerheads crawl down to the water and swim out to sea. Very cool.

So adorable!!

Saturday, we rented a paddle board. The water was a bit rough due to some approaching storms, but Parker and Lee and Big Daddy (my father) had a blast riding the waves. The girls spent most of their time playing in the sand a looking for shells. On Sunday, the weather was  perfect and everyone enjoyed paddling around the calm waters. I overheard Parker saying, "Hop on ladies, I'll paddle us out to sea." The "ladies" he was referring to were his 9 year old sister and his 7 year old cousin. What a little gentleman. He says he might be ready for Venice, but unfortunately he only knows Spanish, not Italian.

Anna Kate, Olivia & Lauren

Parker & Big Daddy - riding the waves

Lee & Parker

Crashing in the waves

There’s nothing better than toes in the sand, book in the hand and surf crashing on the shore. Love our days at the beach.

Travelin', travelin', travelin'....

We left Atlanta last week for a quick tour of North Carolina. Our first stop was Franklin, NC - where we visited Grandad and Judy. Anna Kate was thrilled by a visit to Aunt Marilyn and uncle Bob's house - because she got to play with Koko, the crazy cocker spaniel. It was a quick trip, but always fun to spend time with family.

Then we headed over to Greensboro, NC. We spent some time with folks over at Westover church. We also got to visit with Lee's Aunt Tam and cousin Lisa. It was a short but sweet side trip as we headed north to Washington, DC.

On Saturday, we drove to DC to visit the Brown family in their new home. If I were a better writer, I could describe the ocean of thoughts, feelings and emotions that washed over me as I stepped into their home. I think I finally took a deep breath and felt truly at home here. More on that another day....

Sights and Excursions in DC.....

Iwo Jima, Arlington Cemetery and Arlington House (former home of Robert E. Lee) - this year we studied a lot of wars in modern history. I love being able to study history and then visit the places where history happens.

Iwo Jima Memorial from WW2

Ford's Theatre - we saw the theatre booth where Lincoln was shot, as well as a great museum about the Civil War and the assassination of Lincoln.

The theatre box where Lincoln was assassinated.

Newseum - this museum tells about the history of news and media. We were especially impacted by the exhibit on 9/11. So moving so revisit the sights and sounds of a watershed moment in our modern history.

Rebecca, Anna Kate, Andrew & Parker at the Newseum.

Hershey Park - we added two more states to our itinerary. We drove through Maryland to get to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. A day of roller coasters, water slides and rides....so fun!!

(pictures pirated from the Brown Family Blog because the lame Radfords forgot our camera)

Riding coasters!!

Insane roller coaster - straight up and straight down.

We loved it! 

Earthquakes & Hurricanes..... brought Guatemala with us? On Tuesday, Gay and I were having a little girls day out. We were sitting in the massage chair at the nail salon having a pedicure when the earthquake hit. It took us a minute to realize what was happening. People from the salon next door came running out, but we didn't move. It's certainly unusual to have an earthquake in that region, but not so concerning that we felt compelled to interrupt our beauty treatments. teeheeeheee We also visited Tom, the world's best hair dresser, where I got a new cute haircut. Very fun and adventurous day.

We loved every minute of our time with the Brown's and can't wait for the next visit. It was a sad parting, as we headed south on Friday - running from the hurricane. We will spend the day in SC and then head on to Atlanta.

Lazy lake days...

Oh my soul .... how we love the lake!

Love Lake Allatoona!

Learning to ride a paddle board!

Years ago Lee's mom wanted to buy a mountain house. We talked, we looked, we talked some more. While a mountain house would be wonderful, it was a huge commitment of time and resources. We wanted something fun and recreational for our whole family, but we also wanted flexibility and freedom. We decided to buy a pontoon boat. I loved this idea; having grown up in Florida, we always had a boat when I was young. We spent weekends on the water - skiing, snorkeling and swimming. Some of my greatest memories from childhood are centered around boating and the water. What a treat to do the same thing with our kids.

AK helping daddy drive!

Parker was about 5 and Anna Kate 3, when we started boating on Lake Allatoona. Every summer, we spent the weekends on the lake - swimming, sunning, tubing. We love finding quiet coves for a picnic lunch and afternoon swimming. My favorite time of day on the lake is just before sunset - the watercolor sky, the warm late-day sun, the calm and quiet of evening's approach. It is PEACE.

relaxing!!!

We planned a few days of relaxing vacation at the beginning and end of this five week road trip. We began with a few days at Lake Allatoona with Mimi. We rented a great cabin at our favorite state park - Red Top Mountain. Our wonderful and generous friends, loaned us a pontoon boat (along with all the trimmings- tube, knee board, noodle floats etc.)  The weather was August perfection - sunny, warm and glorious. What a dream to be on our favorite lake doing all our favorite things - picnicking, swimming, tubing, stopping at the lake gas station for ice cream! Heaven!!

The kids especially enjoyed learning how to ride the knee board. Parker even learned how to spin around in a 360 circle. The also LOVED the paddle board. They are trying to figure out how to get one on the airplane.

Crazy for tubing!

Get a grip.

Paddlin'

Did I mention food yet? We had some amazing food. Our dear friends who live at the lake, had us over for dinner. She served Low Country Boil. Did you hear me? Low Country Boil people! What's not to love about Shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes. Thank you Mrs. Fortney! You are the BEST!! Another night we had crab cakes and shrimp pasta - and lots of SWEET TEA! Oh my soul .... I've died and gone to heaven with all the wonderful food! I'm going to have to start the parasite diet as soon as I land in Guatemala.

The Lord is so kind to us. We could not have asked for a more relaxing start to our trip home.

Peaches are home....

We spent our first couple of days in Florida with my family. We pretty much did nothing but eat at Chickfila and drink coffee at Starbucks!! We did get to meet the newest member of the family - Popcorn - my mom's miniature schnauzer. What a cutie!

We also had the great adventure of visiting the Florida DMV and the Social Security office. It was a cultural experience - of the red-neck variety. I told Lee that it must be a universal experience - anyone who has to deal with a government agency, be it in the USA or Guatemala or Timbuktu, you must make more than one trip to more than one government agency with about forty kinds of documentation! Talk about exasperating! Alas, I am happy to to say - we are now residents of the great state of Florida. You may wonder why it matters - but come April 15th next year - we will be very happy to not file the GA State Income tax return.

Yesterday, we made the drive to our beloved Georgia and what a feeling. It was so great to see all the familiar sights. The peaches have returned to their home tree. We are headed to the home fountains at North Metro Church this morning and then we head to the lake for some much needed R&R. Can't wait to see all our favorite swimming holes at Lake Allatoona. We will be offline for a couple days, but I promise to post pics by the weekend.

Sorry there are no pics for this post - so far we have only taken pics at Chickfila. I know - we are so lame!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles......

Well, our first big road trip back to the US begins in 48 hours. We begin this 5-week adventure with a plane ride to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We will then drive to Chickfila before driving on to my parents house in Tampa, FL. While on this journey, we plan to drive to or through - Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and back to Florida. That's a LOT of driving!! Along the way, we will spend some time at the lake, in the mountains, in the US Capitol and at the beach! Of course, the best part is we get to do all these fun things with our family and friends. CAN'T WAIT!!

PACKING - What a nightmare! How do you pack for a 5 week trip? I don't know - I have never been on a five week trip! I was a bit overwhelmed by the prospect. It turns out - it wasn't too bad!! Everyone gets a suitcase with 7+ days of clothes. Plus, we have one bag with toiletries, gifts, coffee and miscellaneous items. I am worried about the return trip though - my shopping list keeps growing and growing. YIKES!

Do we have all the cords and chargers for our gadgets??

How is all this going in that one small bag??

We are looking forward to this trip and will try to post pictures and snippets of fun adventures. Please pray for safety, health, endurance, rest and energy. Hope to see many of you very soon!!

One Year ago....

Family photo shoot at ruins in Antigua

 Photo by Katey Erickson

One year ago today, 4 very sleepy, anxious, excited Radfords awoke to get on an airplane. That airplane took them to a far-away land. (Not really that far-away) The land of eternal spring. (although right now it feels like eternal rain) Guatemala, oh how we love thee, let me count the ways.

Things we love (or have learned to love)

Market - At first, I was very intimidated by the market. I was used to a clean, well-lit, indoor grocery store. I took for granted the clearly printed signs that tell me exactly what to pay for my fruits and vegetables. I know that everyone in the store is paying the same price, I don't get a special price based on the color of my skin. Well, here the market is outdoors (or semi-indoors but very leaky). It is anything but clean, well-lit and sanitary. I get the "gringo" pricing, which means I look wealthy enough to pay twice what everyone else pays. It turns out that I actually like shopping in the market. I like the beautiful colors and the sounds of people chattering. I like practicing Spanish and interacting with the vendadoras. I still don't like the smell, but I can bear it for a short while. Guess what? Even though I get upcharged because I am a "wealthy, white American," it's still a fraction of what I used to pay at my beloved Publix.

Veggies!! Yummy!!

Rain - You cannot live in this kind of climate without coming to terms with the fact that it rains for six months of the year. I cannot say that I am a fan of the rain every single day, but I have come to appreciate some things about it. The rain keeps things fresh, green and tropical - "the land of Eternal Spring." I like having some quiet time in the afternoon to rest, read and listen to the rain. It slows the pace of my day. Another added benefit is that I don't have to watch the weather forecast anymore. May through Oct - it will rain everyday, usually starting around 2:00 in the afternoon. Nov through April - warm, temperate and blue skies. The temperature doesn't change much, ranges between 65 and 80 degrees year round. There's something to be said for predictability.

Some might say we are living the dream in a tropical paradise. Except for when the rain floods the streets and you have to walk through shin deep, muddy brown water. Or it washes away homes and businesses. Or you lay down in bed for the evening and the bed feels wet and squishy. It reminds me of one of my favorite passages of scripture:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him."

Lamentations 3:22-24

    Where are my rainboots?

      Eternal Spring

The rain can be a blessing and a curse all at the same time, but one thing remains steadfast - the love of the Lord. His mercies are new every morning.

People - It's the thing that drew us here in the first place. And at the end of a long, frustrating day, it's what keep us from running home to Georgia. I love the beautiful colors of their tipico dress. I love their petite stature. I love their warm smiles. I love to hear them chattering in their Mayan dialect. My heart breaks when I see the hard callouses of bare feet, the bent spine of the elderly who have spent a lifetime carrying firewood, or the hopeless look in the eyes of young people. The mama in me rages when I see a child with reddish-orange tint to their hair, (a sign of malnutrition).

“Yet their Redeemer is strong;

 the Lord Almighty is his name. 

He will vigorously defend their cause,
 so that he may bring rest to their land.”

Jeremiah 50:34

As we assimilate to our new life in Guatemala, it is our desire to defend the defenseless. We long to see his people RESTORED in body and mind, REDEEMED by the blood of the Lamb, and RELEASED as a light unto the nations for His glory alone.

at ruin of Santa Clara in Antigua

photo by Katey Erickson