Saturday, April 16, 2011

A whirlwind beginning to a WHIRLWIND month

This week has been quite a beginning of this whirlwind month ahead of us...there were five (yes, count them, 5) trips to the capital.

Monday - the trip was a fun trip as we ladies celebrated another birthday lunch (and several of the husbands enjoyed food and fellowship together too) at the new IHOP!  Yes, you read that correctly - IHOP has recently opened here in Guatemala and they are already working on the second one.

Tuesday - the trip was to get Jacob's Guatemalan passport which went without a hitch at all as we left town with his passport in hand.  Jacob's parents, Britani (North American) and Marvin (Guatemalan) are sweet friends of ours that you have seen before on our blog.  Marvin has a VERY serious medical issue and he desperately needs to get to the states for medical attention.  There have been SO many hurdles and hoops to jump through, but through it all, they have had such sweet spirits even in the most difficult of circumstances.  Please continue to pray for them as they continue the process and as he receives the medical help he needs.

Wednesday - the trip was to present Jacob for his US passport.  We arrived at the US embassy at 7 am and left a couple of hours later without his passport.  One More Hurdle - a few more documents were needed which her dad was able to email that afternoon and have ready for presentation on Thursday am when we went back.

Thursday - the trip was for Marvin's interview to receive (or deny) his visa.  We arrived at 6 am and dropped Marvin and Brittany at the gate to wait for a number.  He had been assigned an interview time, along with many others, and this number would be the order in which they were called for the same interview time.  The embassy does not open until 8, the 8 o'clock interviews do not start until 9, but they were in line at 6 to be first (he was second).  David and I felt a little like, no, a LOT like, Abraham and Sarah as we got to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with Jacob before rejoining them around 7:45 for Jacob to accompany them to the interview. Marvin was very nervous, very nervous, very nervous but he did well, however, Another Hurdle, they were told that several documents that the US attorney was to have expedited, were not in the file here.  After several phone calls, she assured them that this time the documents would be here in time for his return appointment on this coming Monday at 2 pm, Although we all left a bit discouraged, not all was lost, for we left with Jacob's US passport.  So this little guy, only a week old, now holds his two passports...a miracle in itself!


Friday - the trip was to purchase supplies for the upcoming Sinergia conference in May.  Sinergia is a mobilization conference for the encouragement of, and training of latin believers to launch out as missionaries into the world, especially in the unreached areas of the world.

Then in the afternoon, we were able to leave home with our friend Carol and her sister Kim, who had just arrived for a week's visit for a little R&R and head to Lake Atitlán.  Enjoy some of the pics of 24 hours friend time :)



 A little shopping is always in order
 The beginning of a parade
 No parade is complete without the beauty queens
 Here they come...the volunteer firemen
 There they go...yeah, the volunteer firemen with a couple of the trucks.
It was just a fundraiser parade.
 We stopped at a new place on the way home.  
Just couldn't resist this little fellow, notice the tear in his eye and the trail of tears on his cheek. 
 Special friend time with Carol and Kim.


Whew!  Early mornings (two of those days were 3:30 AM wake ups to leave home before 4:30). Capital traffic. Throw in a little "friend time." Just the beginning of this whirlwind month.


Second Whirlwind Week Ahead:  Please continue to pray for us this week as we head out early Monday morning with a group from our church as we minister in Nearer.  We covet your prayers.  Pray for those who will hear the message of salvation and receive forgiveness of their sins.  One day, you will see them around the throne praising God because you prayed them into the kingdom.

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