Visiting another church...

Today was Sunday and we headed to Iglesia Bautista Shalom here in the city. We enjoyed good fellowship and worship with the brothers and sisters.



Tomorrow we head out again...this time over to the Coban area. We will be visiting Jeff and Karen and their family and then on to visit David and Regina before returning on Friday. Pray for safety in travel...you've seen some of our interesting roads. Pray for eyes to see and ears to hear what God desires for us to understand. We'll be back Friday.

Continue to pray for the details regarding our crate. We have a home in Chimaltenango and are just waiting for our stuff. Thanks for your continuing prayers.

Yesterday we were in Antigua visiting a team from Georgia and the day was gorgeous. We had a totally clear day...enjoy the view like we did.

Trip to Lake Atitlan

This week we traveled west to Lake Atitlan. It is as beautiful as we remembered! The lake is a crater of a volcano and is surrounded by several volcanos. There are many indigeous villages scattered around the lake. We visited Panajachel, where we stayed in the mission house, San Pedro, where our dear friend Isac Batz pastors, San Juan, Santiago Atitlan, where David helped construct the two story dorm building, Santa Catarina Palopo, and Santa Antonio Palopo.

Enjoy the visit...it's just to pretty for words...priceless...majestic glory of God!

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Thank you God for the memories...

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Wonder where we'll go to church tomorrow...

Five Sundays...Different Church Each Week

Wow! It is difficult to believe but we have been in country for four weeks now. that is five Sundays and a different church each week.
First Sunday - Apostento Alto in Guatemala City
Second Sunday - Iglesia Bautista Macedonia in the mountains around San Andrés Itzapa
Third Sunday - Iglesia Bautista La Familia de Dios in Guatemala City
Fourth Sunday - Primeria Iglesia Bautista de Jalapa
Fifth Sunday - Iglesia Evangélica Bautista Bethania in Guatemala City

What a priviledge to worship with believers who love the Lord and praise Him with a full heart.

Afterwards we stopped for lunch at a favorite of ours from years past - the Pan American Hotel.




The Rosa de Jamaica was wonderful...



Everything was delicious but the crowning of the meal was just the way we have remembered...the coconut cream pie.



Perfecto!

Visiting Antigua...

The other day we went to Antigua to enjoy lunch with a friend of the family. Along the way, among other things, we passed FULL pickup trucks:



and a parade in progress.





Lori has attended language school in Xela and Antigua for 6 months which will improve her work in the states with critically ill children at Scottish Rite Hospital. She returns soon to the states so we were so glad to enjoy lunch and fellowship with her. Love you Lori!

Relief Map of Guatemala...

Thursday we visited the Relief Map of Guatemala. It was really cool...designed in the early 1900's by Francisco Vela. The 2,000sq m/21,500sq ft map shows Guatemala's topography in detail complete with rivers, lakes and oceans and is viewed from platforms located on each side. It was really neat to get an overview of the whole country and to see places where we have traveled over the years.

The town of Coban is between Jane and David.


The tall volcanos are located around Lake Atitlan, where we plan to visit this week. It is probably the most beautiful place in all of Central America...ok, maybe I am a little prejudiced.


Chimaltenango is located right in the very middle of this picture - about 25 minutes north of Antigua, 45 minutes west of the capital - on CA-1, the Central America Highway. Pray for our home here...more details to come, hopefully next week. Pray for the people of Chimaltenango.


At the border of El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras.

We're not in Georgia anymore...

There are many things that remind us we are not in Georgia anymore. Last night as we were traveling to the other side of the city for dinner with friends we encountered traffic slowdown...



And here you thought that Washington Road...I-85...I-90...etc had traffic. There is nothing like merging traffic driving sideways to get to far left lane in order to turn at the turn around and go in the opposite direction! Interesting to say the least!



ALWAYS leave yourself extra traveling time!

First Road Trip

Early Sunday, we departed Guatemala City and headed east to Jalapa. We arrived in time for church at the First Baptist Church of Jalapa and worshipped there. Jane and Wendall were able to enjoy sweet fellowship with some of the people who remembered them. What memories of love and appreciation for their investment in the church years ago.

We checked into our hotel and left to enjoy lunch in another hotel restaurant since Posada San José Antonio did not serve meals on Sundays. There we met another friend from the past, a best friend of Jane and Wendall's daughter when they lived in Jalapa. In the evening we worshipped in another baptist church where the Guatemalan Baptist Convention associational missionary, another friend from the past, was speaking. We enjoyed sweet fellowship and again learned many insights to assist in our work.

Monday, after attempting to visit the third (very small) baptist church and pastor friend from the past with no success, we headed further east to San Luis. The drive was beautiful however, at times, VERY rocky as the road ran out and only rocky terrain remained. There we were able to get some insight into the Pocomam Oriental people group and the town of San Luis as well. We enjoyed lunch in the park and were the topic of conversation with many folks as they passed by, looking at these strange gringos. San Luis is known for their pottery so David was able to make some purchases for our new home before our return home.

One bright spot on the return trip inbetween San Luis and Jalapa almost in the middle of nowhere, David and Wendall made some "love deposits" as they bought Jane and I Starbucks frappucino, yes, you read that right!, to enjoy as we drove home to the city.

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New and Old Friends...

Jane and Wendall Parker are Guatemalan missionaries emeritus. We have enjoyed wonderful fellowship with them over the years. We are so blessed that they are in country and are giving us intensive training and a country overview as we travel around getting accustomed to the road system of Guatemala. They are God's precious gift to us.



What do missionaries do when they get together? Eat...Here we enjoyed dinner together at a new friend's home, Janet, and with "old friends" Jane and Wendall and Margie.



Our supervisors, Gary and Lily, celebrated their anniversary last weekend. Happy Anniversary a little late! Sunday evening Gary's brother, a pastor in SC, collasped after preaching both services Sunday. Monday the doctors did not hold out much hope for him as he had massive internal bleeding. They were able to stop the bleeding but saw extensive damage to his intestines...believe it is result of medication for the cancer he has been battling for 2-3 years. Gary flew back to be with the family. All are praising the Lord that he is able to talk with them and is holding his own at the present time. They do not know what the future holds but are trusting God for His will to be fulfilled. Join us in prayer for the entire family.

Aren't friends a precious gift from God? We treasure your friendship and think of you often. Thank you for the investment you have made in our lives. Thank you for continuing to hold us to the Father. Pray for us especially as we begin these weeks of traveling the country. Thank you for loving us. Praying for you too.

Sunday Worship

Sunday we traveled back to Antigua to attend church with friends, Keith and Penny. We had about a 30 minute ride up the mountain, and then about a 10 minute walk on up the mountain to the church to worship with our Cakchiquel brothers at Macedonia Baptist Church.





As in most indigeous churches, the visitors are to give greetings. True to form, David was called to give greetings, followed by Keith's preaching (mind you, they didn't know we were coming, but it didn't matter, Keith preached). I thought I had been given a pass. No, after the preaching, I was announced to give greetings (unannounced "on-the-field OPIs") and then Penny was announced to give her greetings. Guess we had better make sure we have greetings, and even a sermon or two squirreled away in our Bibles for the next time we visit our brothers!





The view was incredible. What a special celebration of worship with brothers and sisters who love the Lord!







Afterwards we returned to Keith and Penny's home and enjoyed a wonderful home cooked meal with the journeymen and ISC couple in language school in Antigua. I got some Mother's Day hugs from "kids"...just what I needed! And then when we returned to the city, I received Mother's Day calls from our kids...just what I needed!



What a special day!

Still looking for a house...

Saturday we drove to Chimaltenango to see if we could find any other houses and also to just check out the town some more. We took the long way back through Antigua. We spotted a place to "visit the facilites" and noticed a quaint garden area so decided to enjoy coffee and lemon pound cake(YUM!!).



Difficult to believe that such a neat fountain and gardena rea would be found in a McDonald's...but there Ronald sits waiting for the kids to join him.



It was raining on our way back to the city but these photos give a little introduction to the city.

Birthday Party...

We also celebrated the birthdays of Rebecca and Josue, the children of the caretakes of the Arkansas House where we are living until we find our home.

And what is a latin birthday party without a piñata?! Having fun and getting dulces are what is all about.



Although Josue, Rebecca, and Reina, their cousin, had fun taking turns hitting the piñata many times, Rebecca had beat it quite well before Josue was able to completely separate it. All along dulces had scattered but this time it was completely emptied.



Josue blew out the 3 candles on one side and Rebecca blew out the 7 on the other side.



But all three enjoyed what every child likes about a birthday cake...licking the icing off the bottom of the candles!



Glynis with Rebecca, Reina, and Josue:

Thanks for a special day...

Mother's Day...a special day for mothers all over the world. In Costa Rica, Mother's Day is celebrated on August 15th, no matter the day of the week. So last year, we celebrated two Mother's Day - the American date and the Costa Rican date. In Guatemala, Mother's Day is May 10th, which this year corresponds with the American celebration.

Mother's Day is a day to remember our hertitage, our mothers. David and I are both so thankful for the godly mothers with whom we have been blessed. My mother is now 90 years old and is a godly example for me. As I told the folks at church today, she is a godly woman who continues to pray for us every day, many times throughout the day. We are here in Guatemala, serving the Lord, because of the godly influence of mothers who encouraged us to follow the Lord with all our hearts and to walk in His ways, wherever He will lead. What better influence of mothers could we enjoy?!

The greatest joy of a mother is to have her children follow the Lord and serve Him with a pure heart. I am thankful for our children - Miriam and Mike, Stephen, Rebecca and David, and Deborah and Chris. Thank you Lord for each one. I love you very much. Thank you for my beautiful flowers on this day. They remind me of you. Much love!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

We want you to know that even though you are far from us on Mother's Day, your influence in our lives is a daily reminder that keeps us challenged to focus on the things that are really important. Thank you for your godly example and for your love for us which you express in so many ways.

We know that you like beautiful flowers. We hope that you enjoy these roses from us as you celebrate Mother's Day.

We love you,
Miriam & Mike, Stephen, Rebecca & David, and Deborah & Christopher

Busy Week

What a week we experienced! We've been making the rounds of visiting new doctors and getting clean bills of health. It has been interesting to find these offices, of course, they are not located right next to each other and we are also finding the joys of one way streets and divided roads. But that's what it is all about...finding your way around town, getting lost, then finding your way around town a differnt way.

But in just in case you think it has been all work and no play...we've had meals with new friends and in 'new' restaurants, ok, not 'new' but new since we didn't have them in CR. One night we had dinner with David and Regina White whose favorite restaurant is TGIF. Below is a photo of us with David's favorite guys, Mo, Larry and Curly who happened to be visiting TGIF as well. Since they are in the city for a couple of days, we have also enjoyed playing dominoes at night.

God's timing...

One of the greatest joys we experienced in Costa Rica was living in a tico home. We became family and enjoyed family celebrations throughout the year. We celebrated everyone's birthdays - ours, Daisy's, Rodolfo's, their youngest granddaughter's, their son's, their daughter's, her husband's, and two of their children's, everyone's but Diana's, their oldest granddaughter. We arrived last year after her birthday and we were leaving this year early in the morning of her 20th birthday, Saturday, April 25th.



Diana is in her second year of business/marketing at the university and doing really well. Her greatest struggle is trying to do her work on their antiquated computer. Throughout the year as we anticipated guests coming to visit, we asked if anyone had a used laptop they were willing to donate so our guests could bring it to us. Nothing. We had good intentions but nothing materialized.

Then on Tuesday, April 21st, a friend emailed: "Hope you are doing well. Do you still have a need for a laptop. Please advise." Do we have a need?! Our little sibs at school had parents coming on Friday to visit for the week...so Wednesday the computer was overnited to the parents, arrived there Thursday, was packed, and delivered to us Friday afternoon. Friday evening Diana opened her birthday gift...perfect timing...God's timing.



Thanks Parker family for being available for God to use you to bless the lives of our special tico family! Love you guys!