Merry Christmas!

I’m sitting here listening to Christmas music and imagining that I’m looking out at snow falling and sitting next to a fire and Christmas tree. Somehow it still doesn’t seem quite like Christmas, even though I’ve been living in Guatemala for almost 3 years now. And no matter how long I’m gone, I never cease to miss my family. But I am grateful with where God has me in my life!

The English workshops began two weeks ago in the new classroom. I have been giving classes a few times per day to see which children and teenagers come to classes and who have come and dropped out. That way in January I will have an official registration time and give priority to the students who are interested and committed, and also have more of an idea of how to separate the classes. I will be giving classes along with Emilsa, the other hired teacher here from Guatemala. Through donations we have been able to hire her for more classes; praise God! She is a Christian and is always grateful for the opportunity to work and use her English. We have had full classes during these workshops and even had to turn down students because we ran out of room!
I do wish all of you a very Merry Christmas; to enjoy the time with family and remembering the important things in life. To remember why Christ came; and that after the joyous time of His birth and growing up came His sacrifice and suffering. I don’t ever want to forget how much this means to me, each day. Not just around this Christmas time.  Thank you always for your support; being here would not be possible without you all. May God bless you all!

New English Training

It is a time of transition! Small Change 4 Big Change will officially have an office and classroom space right in Santa Catarina. This is something we have needed for a while, and God finally provided a space that we will be able to use beginning in December. The plan is to have many more English classes now that we can have a consistent classroom space. We will be able to move things from the office where we are now (in Antigua) into the other during the month of December; but the plan is to have at least the classroom space ready to use the second week.

As sometimes it is difficult to start up classes (in the sense that people begin and then eventually some lose interest) we are going to have what we call workshops. They will be twice per week to see who really is interested in signing up for full courses in January. It will also give us the chance to see who will be able to attend more advanced level classes.

As I mentioned before, the end of the year is coming to a close and for most of ourstudents, the 2014 school year has ended. Unfortunately we have had two students who have dropped out recently; one due to conflict with the University and the other because of not failing his exam at Maximo Nivel (the English language school). It brings great disappointment and sadness, to be truly honest. I have struggled recently with wondering if really what I’m doing here makes a difference. This type of work can be disheartening at times, and make me question if I am in the right place. It has been confirmed to me time and time again that this is where the Lord wants me for right now, but it has been a challenging few months. Please pray for the encouragement in times of disappointment.

Celebrations

The weather here is very cold, it reminds me of fall back in MD! The temperature typically changes around November and December here which makes it feel like Christmastime. On Saturday everyone celebrated All Saint’s Day; the tradition is to go to the cemeteries with food and family to celebrate the lives of those who have passed. People all over Latin America celebrated with enormous kites (in photo) that had been made beginning 6 months ago, festivals, and the traditional dish called fiambre. Fiambre is made of vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, radishes, beets, and corn as well as eggs and all different types of hams, and sausages.

In better news, we spoke with the Mayor of Santa Catarina who told us that what we had heard about the garden was false, and that he still gave us permission to use the land. It turned out to be a misunderstanding but is also confirmation that we need a piece of land of our own so there is never any complication. We have found a house that will be an office space in Santa Catarina, which is a blessing! We had found out and even put a deposit down, but it didn’t work out with the owner due to changes and additions we needed to be made. This one we have found now will hopefully will be able to be used beginning in January! Please pray for that also; that this is the right place for us and everything will fall into place.

Felix, our student who has been sponsored to take guitar lessons by the church who came in August, began this month. He takes two hours per week at a local church that offers one hour of guitar theory and one hour of practice. It is such a wonderful opportunity for him, as he struggles with epilepsy. He would like to study at the University but due to his condition it would make it hard for him.  (As well as money that the family doesn’t have). He would like to learn and possibly play in his church’s worship band.

Thank you always for all of your support and your prayers for me and for the project.

Back in Guatemala

I’ve been back “home” in Guatemala for about a week now. No matter how long it’s been living here, it’s still sometimes a transition. Mostly due to the fact that I’m used to seeing my family each day and talking with them face to face.

My students are finishing their last month of the 2014 school year! There will be 8 that will continue in their programs, and two that will be newly sponsored to continue in their studies at public school. I know each one is ready for a break. Grades will come out within the next few weeks. We are also going to be having another school supply drive for the 2015 school year. This will give us the chance to provide the school supplies many children in the project and community will need to begin; those who aren’t in the education program. So many children only need that extra help in the beginning of the school year for them to be successful while studying.

In other news, the women’s community garden has now been taken over by the local Muni (meaning Mayor’s office). Through a series of unfortunate events by one of the women who was in the project, it no longer belongs to them and so we are in search a piece of property that can be owned by Small Change for Big Change. This was very disheartening, especially to the women who have made this garden special and taken care of it, along with building relationships with one another. I believe it will make them stronger; they have already begun searching out a new space and were ready to show Lisa when she returned from her trip to the US! Please pray that we find land to have this garden as well as an office in Santa Catarina. We believe that God has somewhere for us; He just hasn’t shown us where yet.

Thank you to all of you who were so supportive when I was home as well as supportive of my family.

An Update at Home

I’ve been home for about a week and a half now, and it always takes some time to adjust. It is such a blessing to be able to spend time with my family, and have the ability to do that. It becomes a different kind of business than that in Guatemala, as there is always a lot in my house to do. I thank you for your prayers, and for those of you who have been so supportive from my church as I have had some tests done due to some health issues. Thank God, literally, so far everything has been good. I meet with a doctor on Tuesday to find out for sure what my next steps are; and that might even mean that everything is alright. I can understand how people might feel during this time of waiting for results, and how tough it might be if it is something serious. God gives peace and comfort; I think we just have to allow Him to be there with us. We let our worries and fears take over completely and begin to trust those more than the Lord.

My Dad has recently been listening to a song from the Disney movie “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.” It is about a boy who becomes part of a family but only has a certain amount of time with him; he belongs more to the earth than to them. At the end of four seasons, he disappears. There is a song at the end of the movie called “The Gift” that has spoken to my Dad’s heart as well as mine. The words are very thought provoking, and I am putting them here so you can read them and interpret them as you would like.

This gift will last forever
This gift will never let you down
Some things are made from better stuff
This gift is waiting to be found

Your heart's in wide receiving
Been too long buried in the sand
Some things require leaving
This gift will fall right in your hand
Just try to understand...

If you long enough
And you don't give up
If you're strong enough
And you don't give up
And you...

You'll be no harbor to the sorrow
Just let it go.

Don't hang your head in sorrow
Don't give up just before you win
Don't wait around for tomorrow
Open up your arms and let it in

This gift will last forever
This gift will never let you down
Some things are made from better stuff
This gift is ready to be found
Just you believe it now

This gift will last forever
This gift will never let you down
Some things are made from better stuff
This gift is ready to be found
Your heart's in wide receiving
Been too long buried in the sand
Some things require believing
These things just fall right in your hand
Just try to understand...

A Visit Home

First I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes! Time goes by so quickly and I love just looking back at the year and seeing all of the amazing things God has done and how He continues to move in my life, even though I don’t deserve a single part of it.

Life has been back to normal for the past few weeks since the Iowa team left. Their church it seems is interested in sponsoring us to buy a piece of land in the area near Santa Catarina Barahona. This is HUGE. If we could have a place as an office and meeting space there in town, as well as a place for teams and volunteers to be hosted, it would be an incredible blessing. We see God at midst in this and Bill, who is our third board member from that church, will be coming down to help look at piece of land and buildings to buy. Please pray about this!

I also will be coming home as sort of a “surprise” visit in a few weeks. I am mentioning this here because I am well aware that my Dad has mentioned it in church, for those of you who go to CUMC. I have some current health issues that need to be taken care of. It is nothing serious I don’t believe, but something that should at least be looked at. I will be buying a one-way ticket with every intention of coming back when I can! But as you know, Doctor appointments and matters regarding health don’t always go as planned. This way I don’t need to be worried about doing everything within a certain amount of time, knowing I have a date to come home. I thank you all for your support and prayers always, I look forward to seeing some of you very soon!

Iowa First Presbyterian Church Mission Team

It is 5:30 in the morning, and the Iowa Mission Team of 66 people just left a little while ago. I tried to fall back asleep but was not able to! It has certainly been quite a week, and as most mission trips go, went by very quickly.

They team came last Saturday and were already separated into 3 groups. Each group rotated two to three times during the week between Hope Haven (assembling wheelchairs and a distribution), ImagininGuate (constructing a house), and smallchangeforbigchange. With Lisa, they were installing stoves and with me we had a VBS of up to 100 children. The majority of the team was youth from the youth group and had never been out of the country before. It was certainly an eye opening experience for everyone to not only leave the US, but to see the way people live who are living in poverty. Most of them had the opportunity to go inside at least one family’s home and saw the seriousness of the way families are living here in Guatemala.

The team who built the house worked with an organization called ImagininGuate that I mentioned above. It is a team of 4 guys from the very same community want to make a difference and whose passion is house building. They start from essentially nothing, the ground, and construct a home in one week. This was also a wonderful chance for the group to start a project so big and see it finished at the end of their time here. Each day the groups were separated in yet more groups for lunches in the homes of our most special families. This gives the women a chance to not only work and cook traditional food for visitors but also relationships to be built and for the groups to have a chance to talk with them and hear their stories.

Lives were touched, both for the Guatemalan people here but also with the huge team from Iowa. Many tears were shed as it was time to say goodbye yesterday and promises were made to come back. God was at work this week; keeping everyone safe and moving in our hearts.

English Classes

I want to introduce you to Emilsa. She is another addition to the smallchangeforbigchange team! We have been able to hire someone to teach two more English classes in Santa Catarina Barahona. Not only is it an excellent opportunity for people to come study English for free in the community, but also for Emilsa to have work and be involved in something where she is practicing and using her English. The more we can find the opportunities to give people work, the more each of those people will be able to improve their lives and start changing their futures.

Emilsa has been studying English at Maximo Nivel (where we have our other 4 students) for a year now. She is beginning her second year and has a talent for the language. She has decided to plan all of her own lessons and activities using the structure and ways that she has learned herself. She has been a pleasure to work with and will be a part of this week with the team as a translator! I believe God puts specific people in our paths without coincidence and that is no exception with Emilsa and these English classes!

July Update

It has been a very exciting time here in Guatemala as the World Cup went on. There were soccer games every day playing in every place where there was a TV. Most people wanted a Latin American country to win, and the final game was between Argentina and Germany. Unfortunately Germany won and many people were disappointed.
Our University students just began their second semester and did very well the first. I believe that God has new people in mind as students to start at Maximo Nivel, the English language school. We have four students there now and it is an excellent program that is intensive and they truly learn to speak English in the two years they are there. It seems as though everything has worked in this way, that God puts a vision somewhere, people show up that He has in mind, and so do the funds to sponsor. He is amazing. We are also going to advertise for a sponsor for a young man of 18 years  whose name is Felix who is interested in learning guitar. Not only is he a very sweet teenager with a relationship with the Lord, but him and his family has been hit with extremely difficult times in the past few years. He had a twin who passed away and now he is also struggling to finish his last year of high school but has a difficult time because he seizes often. This family has had to pull together and draw near to God because there has been nowhere else to turn. Right now, the Father is in Canada picking strawberries for 6 months to earn money. They have expressed that they miss him so much but understand why he needs to be there.

With the group coming in August, there are going to be people that will be able to meet Felix and interested in music and we would love to pair them up as a sponsor and student. We will provide him with a guitar and his instructor will be someone from the church who can teach him worship music, which he loves most of all. I know God is going to put the pieces together! It is also my hope that it is an encouragement in Felix’s life as well as the life of his family.

I hope everyone enjoyed their 4^th of July, I was thinking of home, especially of Catonsville the whole day a Catonsville knows best on how to celebrate our Independence Day!

Photos of the Community Garden in Chirijuyú

 

Workers from the Municipality and Ministry of Agriculture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A harvest of radishes!

 

 

 

 

 

More harvest!

Halfway through the year!

It is almost June, which means the 6 month mark of the year. How quickly time passes without us even realizing it. Our University students are finishing their first semester, and the rest of the students are taking their mid-year exams.

We have a community garden that Lisa has begun in the area of Chirijuyú, with 30 women who have been broken up into groups to take care of their plots of land. These women love being in charge of their plots and it is especially exciting when it is time to harvest. We are in the process of preparing and working out details for the group of 63 people coming in August to volunteer from a church in Iowa. We are very excited to have such a large group of people interested in what God is doing here in Guatemala, but there are so many details and logistics to be worked out. We will have one group of 20 working in various projects with smallchangeforbigchange (doing Vacation Bible School and installing stoves), another group will be working with an organization called ImaginInGuate constructing a house, and the other group in Xenacoj working with the Hope Haven factory (constructing and distributing wheelchairs). There is no doubt that God has a plan for this team since everything seems to be falling into place as it should, and the resources are being provided. We are also putting together here our “dream team” of workers and volunteers to be available all week long!

Other than that it’s been almost a month since I’ve been home, and I still miss seeing my family every day. The rainy season has begun and it is sweet to listen to the rain when it’s pouring outside. I tend to love cloudy days more than sunny and so this time of year is beautiful. Thank you always for your support in the project and for me, God always provides for my needs and I am thankful always!

Home and Disneyworld

I am back in my home in Guatemala and it is always strange to be back. I was able to spend my first week back in Catonsville. Most of all, I spent the time with my family. I didn't have very much on my schedule so that I was able to be with them. I even enjoyed taking my sister to school and picking her up each day! It is so different to be able to connect with people again face to face and in person. I am very thankful for Skype, but it is not the same. They encourage me by supporting me in this project, although it is the most painful thing imaginable to be apart. This time back, I have seen the most change in my younger brother who is 11. Being with him and seeing these changes was quite a shock, but it is exciting to see how he is growing.

The second week I was fortunate enough to get to Disneyworld! My family had planned this vacation a few months ago, and had been wanting to do it for a few years now. It was magical! My family, my sister and her family and father-in-law and sister-in-law went. We bought three park tickets and spent all day going to the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. The rest of the days we spent at the pool and resting at home. By far the most fun we had was just spending together, laughing and joking and enjoying the time without any distractions from work or being at home. Words cannot express how thankful I was to be with all of them and be able to spend that "magical" time with them. 

I began work again yesterday, but also am trying to get into the routine. It is always a transition to be back in the US and then to be back in Guatemala, but worth it. I thank all of you who continue to support me and smallchangeforbigchange, I will never be able to thank you all enough.

Holy Week and Team from Ohio

 

It was another exciting week for many reasons. On Sunday started Holy Week, the most famous week in all of Central America. Especially here in Antigua, as you might have remembered from before, it is a week full of processions, alfombras (colorful photo), food, time with the family, and many Catholic traditions. Everything is colorful and smells of insense and of the different traditional plants they use on the alfombras.The streets are full of people from all over the world. It is a time of reminder of Christ and what He did on the cross, and how that affects our lives today. It is an encouragement towards a deeper relationship with Him, and to see where our hearts’ focus is. Here, Good Friday is celebrated more than Easter Sunday. But it had me thinking that you cannot have one day without the other, and that each day is equally important. Christ died, and in that moment washed our sins away. But He also resurrected, and came to life again to provide us with eternal life. It is beautiful.

We also were blessed to have a pilot team of two men from the Vineyard Church in Ohio with us this week. It was an excellent week of stoves installation as well as a chicken coop. But the great part about having these two here is that they understood how important it is to spend time with these families, and really talk to them and hear their
stories. We spent a lot of time sitting around and sharing, as well as prayer. They “get it”. The more we talked with them, the more we realized they were on the same page, as far as the fact that the projects we do are a hook to lead people to the love of God. They are hoping to come back sometime in the future with a team from the church.

 

I will be heading home in less than a week! I will be there for about 8 days then go with the family to Disneyworld in Orlando. I am looking forward to it immensely, it is always so REFRESHING to see them and spend time with them face to face instead of over a computer screen. I hope to see many of you who are in Catonsville during the time, at least to say hello and thank you all for your support that you continually provide me and smallchangeforbigchange!

ACT Mission Team from Utah

It is always a great encouragement for us to have teams. Not only do they bring excitement for the experience of being in a new place, but also a spiritual spirit of encouragement. There are so many incredible families that we come into contact with each day that it is a special gift to be able to introduce volunteers to these people and have them share their lives with them. It is unforgettable for all involved, as many of you know who have been on mission trips.

This past week we had a group of volunteers that had come the year before to practice English with some of our English students as well as install stoves. It is a powerful group of believers who have left the Mormon Church and are now Christ-following Christians. We installed 7 stoves altogether, and one specifically for tortillas for “Mama Lola” who has the tortilla and tayuyo business. What is great about this group, one of the women in particular, is that they love to share with the families. We spent a lot of time in each home as well as during lunches (which are prepared in homes in the communities with our families) just talking with them and exchanging stories of God’s love and inspiration in our lives. It is such a beautiful thing!

More Business Opportunities

Hello!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I last wrote. We just recently moved into another house, which is a huge blessing from God because it has an office in the front! We have been wanting to have some type of office and needed a place to direct people to come as well as meet with people. God put this house right across the street from where I was living before! I am so thankful for it, and finally everything is moved in and put together.

We have also had two more opportunities in Verapaz to start a businesses! The same family that has
the store lives right next to their Mother and sister. The mother, in her 60's, has been traveling to Guatemala City every day to work, and not earning very much. It most likely takes an hour and a half to get there, as well as return. She makes tortillas and a snack that is a tortilla filled with beans; and only needed the beans, and flour to begin making them. Therefore we sponsored large bags of all of those things, and were able to help her start selling them in the area. This way, she will make some money and not have to go to the city every day. Her daughter, is working with her to take the orders from people in the community and deliver what they need. It is an amazing way to see this family working together to help each other out and collaborating and supporting one another.

Down the road, there is another family who has desired to start a business. The Mother's name is Ericka, and she used to make traditional food for lunch and sell it. She has not been able to do that because she did not have the resources to begin. We were also able to sponsor her in her dream to make food and sell it to members of the community and in town. When we went to visit her, her sheer joy and excitement was undeniable. She could not stop smiling, and wanted to show us all that she would make.

Each family understands that this was just a "push" to begin their ways to make money. Therefore this is the only time smallchangeforbigchange will provide them the food and materials. They are to be investing the money and will be buying everything in the future. It is incredible to see God's hand in this project, and leading it towards helping these families with the desire to work and giving them the chance to start! I love seeing how He just leads us to the people we need to be in contact with, and then provides the resources to allow them to get start. Thank you always for your prayers and support! God is amazing! 

Completed Tienda!

Victor and Rosie's tienda (see other blog below) have been completed and opened last Thursday! They are more than thrilled and know that this is a huge blessing that God has given them. They want to use this store for His glory. Here are some photos!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Business Opportunity

Incredible donations. The donations that come in have nothing to do with me, or Lisa, they come from the sponsors hearts that have been moved by God. We know that He provides for the needs of His people, and He is the one in charge of this project!

Victor and Rosie (and their daughter Adriana) are a family who have been working with us for a couple months now. Victor is hired to work as an employee with installation of stoves and construction of chicken coops. Many times Rosie and Adriana come along and provide entertainment J They are a very special family who are also very involved in their church and are very focused on serving the Lord and growing closer to Him. They have struggled through the years; they have very little money. But they’ve stayed faithful, believing that God was going to help them through and there would be a light at the end of the tunnel.

They had expressed an interest in starting a little “tienda,” or store, in their area. They live in an area called Verapaz, which is very rural and not near town. All of the families that live in Verapaz have to go to the town each day to buy what they will need to eat and cook with. No one has a fridge, so they do this every day. Victor and Rosie want to open a store where they can have their own business for the people in their community. It would be an excellent source of work for the family and benefit all of these families. We have wanted to help a family start a business, but have been not only waiting for the right donation but also the right family that God puts in our place. With this recent donation, we are able to help them in the process of starting their store! They were overwhelmed when we talked to them and started making the plans; all of us realizing that it is God who sends these blessings. They have almost completed the store building, and have purchased a fridge as well as a place to put the fridge and some shelves. It will be a type of loan in the way that Victor will continue working for smallchangeforbigchange to earn the money. Some of it was given, but it is also good to go about this as a type of loan. He loves to work with the project and is a huge asset! We are all praying that things continue to come together, and are excited to see where this will go. I will keep you updated on the progress of the store as the process continues!  

2014 School Supply Distribution

This is by far one of the busiest times for not only the students in the education program, but also for all students in Guatemala. They began classes this week, and some within the next few weeks. It is the beginning of a brand new school year, as our students in the US would begin in September. All of the parents and children are racing to the bookstores to gather all of the materials they will need. It is an exciting time for the students in the smallchangeforbigchange program as there are various new students this 2014 year,  (one is featured on the right) and our first two University students begin!

Each school and class gives out a very specific list of what they are to buy; as well as school uniforms and shoes. Many of the public schools do not charge monthly tuition, but the cost of the supplies and books they will need for the year is too much for them to even start. So many students do not study for this reason. They simply don’t ever begin the year. Catonsville United Methodist Church (my home church) has been collecting money and we have saved it for a supply distribution for the beginning of this school year!

We were able to buy each specific material for 8 students in the community of Santa Catarina Barahona. On Wednesday, we had a distribution to each student with their family present. It was a very special event-these families are so grateful and truly appreciate all of the gifts they are given! It is so important for me to tell them that it is not a gift from me; it is from people in the states who have been moved to help the people in the community in this way. And even more than that, God has not forgotten about them and their very basic needs. He knows what each family is going through, and does want to be a part of their lives to help them through.

There is one specific family that has touched my heart greatly, and is a reminder of how much poverty really does exist. The Father’s name is Rabanito, and he has four children. His wife left, and has not been present in the family’s life. But she is currently present with another child with Rabanito. He works as a carpenter and is one of the most hard-working men in the community. All that he does is for his kids. Last year, he was not able to provide the materials that the children would need to study. There is something called a “tablero”, which is a wooden piece to hold paper with for art and math classes (it is shown in the photos as the wooden object). So in order to give one to his daughter last year, he broke a piece of his bed, made of wood, to construct it.  This story just hit so very hard; and as I said, was a reminder of how much people here struggle for the smallest of things.

Thank you to Catonsville United Methodist Church for your support, I cannot say that enough! I thank you for supporting me, as well as giving these students the opportunity to study this year!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! As I mentioned before, I LOVE the Christmas season…and tend to get a little down when everything comes to an end after New Year’s. But I also think the idea of a new start; a new beginning is a beautiful thing. It is the chance for new goals, mending and working on relationships, new starts with God.

It was my first Christmas without my family. I was a little worried because I knew I would be missing them, and everything about Christmas at home. (Including the snow!) The tradition here is that families get together on Christmas Eve in the evening, and at midnight head out to the streets to light off fireworks and firecrackers. After that, the families head inside for a typical dinner; usually tamales and ponche. Ponche is a famous drink around the holidays made of various fruits. The family stays up until the early hours of the morning, talking, celebrating, dancing. It is a beautiful tradition, even without any gifts. Christmas morning is quiet, since everyone has slept in from the night before! That night, there is a procession of Mary in the street, and more fireworks and street vendors selling children’s toys and typical Guatemalan food. I went with friends that evening as well.

 

I was able to talk to my family on the 25^th, and was thinking of them each moment wondering what they were all doing! From what I heard, it was a nice day for them as well. Today I officially start back working, after taking the week and a half to relax a little. I am thankful for all of these friends and their families in my life, who have become like a family to me here and made being away from home bearable around times like the holidays. God has provided me the people that I need…..as He always provides. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and having a great start to this new year.