I apologize for not having written in the past few weeks. We
have been meeting with various families of the students that go to LAVOSI about
installing water filters, from the money donated by CUMC. A woman who came down
on a team has donated money for two stoves; one was installed a few weeks ago
and the other will be installed on Saturday. We also came across a woman who
lives in an area called San Antonio Aguas Calientes, and went to meet her family.
It was a God meeting, because they are a Christian family whose mother has
people come to her home when they need prayer or has a need in their family. They
sell sewn products in the market in Antigua, and try to employ those in need of
jobs. God has lead us to this family because they will become our connection
for that town.
Along with that, these past few weeks have certainly been a
test. When I first arrived here I moved into a house and signed a lease for 6
months. We found a house that was in the price range of my two friends and me,
and loved it. Lots of natural light, perfect location, everything I could think
to ask for! But we began having problems with the water; it just wasn’t coming
into the system of the complex where we live. First it was a problem of a
shortage of water in the area. But then we realized it was solved outside of
the complex, and it was only our houses that weren’t receiving water. We had
some people come to clean out the tubes; the owners have come to look to see if
they can figure out why water isn’t coming. We have had to pay the firemen to
come and fill the tank, and it was beginning to become empty every couple of
days. We finally all went for about a week without water, showering, and
washing clothes in another house, trying to cook how we could. But filling
buckets of water and going different places to do these things was taking up so
much time! Since then we have met with the rest of the renters in the complex,
and have decided that we need to move. We are currently looking for places in
the same area, but we cannot go higher in price. This is another prayer request
for everyone! I might move into the Hope Haven house until I come home after
Christmas, and from there we will hopefully have one lined up for January. It’s
unfortunate because it has taken up much time, waiting for the tank to be
filled so we can fill up bottles of water and wash dishes. I hope I don’t ever
take having water for granted!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I am always thinking of my
family and friends back home! We are going to be having a large dinner at home
to celebrate tomorrow evening (even if we have no water in the house!) Let us
never forget how we are blessed, and that through even the most difficult of
circumstances, God is near.
It has certainly been a
very exciting past couple of weeks, as our work is back into full-swing. I have
almost finished with school visits with the parents of the students we have in
the sponsorship program. Each visit has gone very with, with directors and teachers
who are willing to collaborate and work together with us to make sure that each
student and their families are doing their part. We also have a new addition,
his name is Berni. He is 23 years old but never finished school. Through other
sponsors, he had studied for one year to become an electrician, and now works
during the day. He has been eager to study again and finish regular schooling,
and got in touch with me to see if we had the resources to help him. He is one
of our most excited students and will be studying on the weekends. He says that
this is a true answer to prayer and that he knows it is a gift from God. 
