Costa Rica and Great News!

Good morning!

It feels good to be home back in Guatemala, and getting back into a routine. The trip to Costa Rica went very well. It was a group of almost 50 people, amazing people, mostly all from Catonsville United Methodist Church. It was really nice to see all of the familiar faces that I hadn’t seen in a year and had such friendships with. There were construction projects at two different peoples’ homes, one to paint their inside walls and make cupboards and the other to mix and pour a cement floor for their home. There were various projects around the camp, as they are always hosting teams and groups for trips and retreats. We had Vacation Bible School in three different locations, but were very thankful to be able to return back to El Mirador! We have been doing projects and VBS there for 12 consecutive years now, and have watched many of the kids grow up. Some of the children are now teenagers, and some of the teenagers are now young adults. It has been an interesting process to watch because some of them have stayed with the church and continued growing in their faith, and others do not want anything to do with God or the local church. Some have found themselves in problems. But it has become a beautiful relationship with the ticos and the group from CUMC in El Mirador.

In other good news: smallchange4bigchange officially has a car! A few people were gracious enough to donate money specifically for a car. We have been looking for a couple weeks and found one that we just felt right about. The owner and his father had taken very good care of it for years, and it is in great condition. It is a 2002 Mazda. Lisa picked it up yesterday. It will be a huge blessing to be able to haul all of our materials to the sites and homes, as well as drive to the places that are either far or difficult to get to instead of taking a bus and tuk-tuks (smaller forms of taxis). God has showered us with blessings and we can’t hardly believe that we now have this pick-up in our possession! Incredible! All praise to God because He is the ONLY one that provides us with these gifts.

The CUMC mission team is official for March 17-25! I was stunned to hear they had bought tickets and a team of 5 came together so quickly. I am looking forward to it! Within the next couple weeks we’ll be making plans for them, making accommodations and working back and forth with the leader to make sure everything will fall into place.

God has blown my mind in the way He has been providing and working in this year of 2013, and I am filled with gratitude when I think on the fact that He lets me be a part of HIS work.

February Update

Hola!

I hope this blog finds you all well. God has been hard at work here, and helping Lisa and I as we continue to find out which direction He wants us to go with smallchange4bigchange. I am in charge of education (student sponsorships and English classes) and Lisa is heading up garden projects, sustainable stoves, and chicken coops. This month, Mateo officially resigned as a board of director. He made this decision because his heart is using his hands to build and work more in that way instead of being part of the administration. It is incredible because each of us is passionate about the areas we are in in charge of; really we believe the Lord put those things on all of our hearts so that we can function this way. Our first chicken coop was built and put in with a team from Iowa and Mateo. They now have 4 chickens that are laying eggs, and the family is extremely excited. We are anticipating success with this program, since the families can either sell the eggs or eat them. When a project is economically beneficial or provides families with more food, it is usually successful.

January was a rush to get them all registered as all classes started classes began then. If the student is not registered and starting by February, they do not have the opportunity to begin until the following year. I am proud of the students that are in the program; all of them are eager to study and are taking the initiative to do their part. A few of the students are older, ages 18, 19, and 23. They never graduated, but understand that in order to have more opportunities in their future they must finish. It is also exciting because they are figuring out what their interests are, and what subjects they are good at. I am so proud of these students, and I'm grateful to all of the groups and families who have chosen to sponsor them.

This Friday I will be leaving for CUMC’s annual trip to Costa Rica! I’m looking forward to visiting with all of the amazing team that is a part of this experience, and of course to see my Dad and sister, Haley, and my cousins. We never know what types of projects will be planned or what God has in store, but He never ceases to amaze. Pray for all of our safety in travels and in work, and that the Lord’s will be done!