Our New Home

Well... we survived week one in the Valley. Actually "survived" is a pretty harsh word; I think I can actually say that we really enjoyed our first week in the Valley. There is nothing more peaceful than waking up and having some quiet time while watching the morning clouds rolls through the Valley. There is nothing more humbling than looking up at a gorgeous night sky full of stars, periodically lit up by a distant lightening storm. There is nothing that brings a bigger smile to your face than the sound of the Colvett kids playing and laughing with their new Guatemalan friends. And there is nothing that brings about a greater sense of acceptance and community than having a 70-year-old Guatemalan woman named Angelina ask you to dance at the Independence Day fiesta. Truthfully, living without hairdryers and indoor plumbing and washing machines is not quite as daunting as it sounds. Living simply is proving to be a great blessing.

We spent most of the past week just setting up home. By "setting up home," I mean putting up tarps as room dividers, building makeshift wooden beds and shelves, blowing up air mattresses, setting up an outdoor "shower" (four tarp walls and a hose full of cold water), and organizing our kitchen and tool shed. Hopefully we can post some pictures sometime soon. When we weren't building and organizing, we were eating DELICIOUS food provided by Cata, or we were trying to stay clean and warm during the afternoon rains. One of our highlights of the week was when a couple of ladies from a neighboring community invited us to their Independence Day fiesta on Friday. We did lots of standing around and listening to Q'eqchi' muffled by a microphone and large speakers, but we were certainly blessed by invitations to dance (if you can consider shifting from one foot to another and swinging your arms dancing) to music provided by a live band and by a lunch consisting of soup with beef in it (a delicacy for the Mayans). We've had very few opportunities to practice our Q'eqchi' this week, but the way the faces of the Mayans have lit up when we have tried to start conversation with them in their mother tongue has reassured us that our efforts to learn their language are not in vain.

We look forward to what the weeks ahead may hold as we begin to pursue some of the objectives of Project Ulpan, such as water projects, agricultural training, baseline studies, and setting up secondary schools. We appreciate your continued prayers for our adventures here. It is very evident to us that God is present in this place, and we are thankful that he is willing to include us in his work here.

Preparing for "The Big Move"

Well... it's almost here. I know many of you thought that the big move already happened- four weeks ago, right? Well, that move was difficult in relation to us leaving our family and friends behind, but in relation to living conditions it hasn't been much of a challenge at all! Grocery shopping is certainly different and so is our mode of travel (most everywhere by foot), but actually, the bed we have had here in Antigua is BIGGER than our bed at home (don't tell anyone we told you)!

Now, the BIG move is coming up this weekend, when we finally settle in to the Ulpan Valley. No running water... well, except for that which flows through the pipes which my husband installed two years ago. No electricity... except for that provided by solar panels. No dishwasher, no washing machine, no running toilet, no TV.... no hair dryer! Now, I remember one day back when Kris and I were just friends and he told me that I was "high maintenance" (which, to his credit, was actually just said in efforts to convince me that I should not date his friend)... I would like to remind him of this when we're in the Valley and I haven't showered for a week and I'm cleaning out one of the latrines(which I'm actually pretty sure I'm gonna delegate as his job- ha ha)!

I can certainly joke about our move, but actually the jokes just cover up the fears and doubts. I really don't know what it will be like to live day-in and day-out without all of the modern technologies that I have come to depend upon for a "comfortable" life. I don't know what I'll do when I see that first big spider in my bed. I don't know how much washing all of our dishes and clothes by hand will wear on me. I don't know if the women will accept me into their community or if they will shun me. I don't know quite how frustrating trying to speak in Q'eqchi' will be. There are many unknowns that I can dwell upon until they become deeply-rooted anxieties....

BUT, I know that I serve a God who is bigger than my doubts and fears. I know that even though I may "grow tired and weary," I serve a God who "renews the strength" of "those who hope in the Lord." I know that even though I will be living in conditions that to many seem very poor, I will in many ways be richer than I was in the States. I know that dependence upon land and the water cycle and community will humble me to a position of greater dependence upon God, as well. And for these reasons, I am looking forward to our big move, and I feel prepared (but only because I know the Lord is by my side).

Kris and I chose this scripture to read together every night this week, and I pray that it would be my mindset as I move into the Valley and embark upon this amazing journey:

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."