A Foreign Land

Today is December 7th, I know, same as there.

I was unaware of the importance of this date until about three hours ago. Shortly after the sun began to set, around 6 pm, the kids and I noticed, actually it was near impossible to ignore, the multitude of fireworks and loud, loud music.  The annual town wide party/fair/carnival will begin tomorrow, I think.

I have since learned that today is "Burn the Devil" day.   I don't know if this limited to Guatemala or is a Latin holiday.  I am sure this is highly unimportant to most of,  if not all of the 15 or so people reading this (I cherish you all).  I only mention this because I was reminded today of a time about 6 month ago, when I was struggling to feel as though my feet had landed in a place where they would ever settle.  This 'holiday' with a festive yet slightly unsettling purpose, reminds me that no matter how comfortable we may become here, whether thru adjusting or compromising to the point where we don't leave the confines of or homes to avoid the surroundings of the day,  that I will always be living in a foreign land. I pray I will never loose the memory of walking into Grandmas house for Christmas, or enjoying a warm summer night with fireworks and hot dogs, and what it felt like to feel a scene of normalcy.

I pray I am not only able to recall those memories for myself, but so that I can remember the importance of each day with my own children. For them, this is home now. They cant remember 10 years ago, much less the good ol' days, back in the 90's, when I remember life being simple and easy. This is their time of building memories and creating traditions. I don't want them to remember all the days we spend in the car, but the way we stuck together on those long days. I don't want them to think of the battle we chose to fight as parents raising our children by faith each day, but of the way we had food on our table and warm beds to sleep in, even on the not-so-quiet nights, like tonight.

Construction is moving along on the new facility. We have completed all concrete work for the interior of the building, and we can shift focus to the roof, water, electrical and septic. Plenty to do for now.

I thank you for reading, loving on us, and praying for all of us here in Guatemala.

Jacob 

Joshua helping out with floating the concrete

A months worth of supplies.

Enjoying the journey

The most active volcano in Guatemala, erupting a little.

Sharing the Vision

We are back! Enjoying all the Dr.Pepper humanly possible, spending time with family and friends and daily trips to Walmart. You know, the simple pleasures of a developed country.

This last week has been a strange transition back into life, as we once knew it.  I know we have a different life in Guatemala, but it feels like a world, or sometimes two, away from the lives we once lived.  Trying to bridge the gap between our new lives and here seems impossible. I find myself stretching to find the words to explain what we do, or where we come from. Trying to explain why we have left everything behind and followed this path is more difficult still. 

If you have a moment, I encourage you to enjoy this short, though informative, video. My friend Caleb Allison put this together, and I feel it conveys more than I can express with words on a page. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?sns=fb&v=JIpFkPHyLkE

Thank you for your interest in the work of God's hand through our otherwise incapable hands. 

Please feel free to share with a friend or your entire state!  

Big Hugs, 

   KatieAnn Ficker 

Stop, Drop.... and GO!

It is a hot, autumn day here in Canilla, and in less than a week, I will find myself basking in the cool crisp air of a Midwestern fall day. If everything goes as planned... and the weather cooperates.

We survived our first year back down in Canilla. We rolled through our one year anniversary of living without a paycheck, leaving US soil, and walking away from our friends and family that we left behind, with a little reflection.

Courtyard of the new facility

For over a year now, we have been plugging away on the construction of the new building, and the clinics will begin the transition into the new facility early next year.

We will take one step at a time in expanding into the rest of the building.

                We are looking forward to our time back in the states, but in preparation of our absence, I can’t help but feel a sense of abandonment for all we will leave behind. Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to many things...  Milk-shakes, Target,   falling Leaves, hugs from family and friends, and going to a live church service, among other things!  I roll through my mind what it will be like and the conversations I may have, the questions I may get asked, and of the possible scenarios, the one that haunts me the most is, “How is Guatemala?”

Sure, the short answer is easy. As ‘fine’  or even ‘good’ will suffice for most people, but my concern does not come from saying something good enough or pleasing enough, but rather from not speaking the truth.

How is Guatemala? Well it is good, it really is. The weather has been mostly predictable in the fact the rains only came for a fraction of the rainy season. The rain ravaged the roads for about a week, compared to months of rain in the past years. The lack of rain left many crops dry, short, or just plain dead.  We are still hopeful for a few more weeks of moisture, but we sense a change in the seasons, unfortunately. Despite the lack of precipitation, Guatemala is still plugging away with its usual fall activities.

The medical clinics continue to serve 500 pregnant women per month, and hundreds of general patients needing anything from antibiotics to insulin. While we are ecstatic to have the most skilled clinic staff in the history of the ministry, we continue to see patients with needs we cannot meet with the resources we have to work with.

Angelina

Last week, I was able to help with a young mother of two, who was going into early labor (Pictured Here). We did all we could to slow her contractions, ease her mind, and get her to the regions nearest medical facility. Upon finally making contact with a physician at the Government Hospital, we learned that despite our ability to fly her in, and get her to the hospital in less than 20 minutes, the answer was simply ‘no’. They were out of space. They had told us not to send her, as she would be turned away. We were faced with multiple options, but each on was worse than the last. If we send her to the hospital, and they deny her care, she will end up birthing a 29 week old baby in the middle of another town, on her own and away from all friends and family that could possibly help her.





It makes me want to scream!

How can I fix this?

How can we fix this?

Well, we just need to get the hospital up and running! 

But, will that solve all the problems this community, our local community, is facing?

Once again, I am glad you asked!  

NO.

We see need everywhere.

In every face of content, we can find need. In every home made of mud, we can find need.  In every life that grows inside a mothers womb, we see need in the future.

Yet the spirit of the people as a whole continues to baffle me. They continue to push forward, despite surmountable odds.

Yolanda

We are surrounded by such a culture of resilience. Yet, there are families ravaged by generational alcoholism. Children deserted by their fathers as they pursue possible work in the US.  Single mothers struggling to change the earthly fate of their daughters. Breaking the cycle seems impossible, and yet we press in, we all press in, in the hope that we can make a difference for this life, and for eternity with as many people as possible.

Little by little, we see hearts soften to the truths of a God who loves them. We see eyes, that were once blinded, opened to see the grace of His forgiveness. We watch a mother, whose hope rests in faith alone, continue to spend every waking moment to improve her children’s future. We see children, having walked for hours, alongside their mothers, come to the clinics to receive milk powder or food to supplement their meals, walking away with the joy of a child, even if only for a moment.

Installing windows in the prayer room of the new facility

I wonder if while I am ‘back home’ I will miss those little eyes that stare at me from the safety of their mothers legs, while I buy my tomatoes off the street? Will I miss the sound of the backhoe in my front yard?  Luckily it is only three weeks…. Right????    

I am so glad to be going back up to visit. I am also looking forward to coming home again. Back to where my kids can find their way through the house when it is dark. Where I have many different creatures (some human) running wild, tracking dirt and sand through the house constantly.  You know.... Home. Where you can put your feet up, sit back and stare at the wall over a hot cup of tea and just be… home.

I pray you are all enjoying your fall weather, and thank you for sharing a little time with me. We look forward to seeing everyone we can, and can’t wait to share with you the awesome things God is doing here in Guatemala!

If you feel connected to our ministry and want to share in this craziness, please consider supporting us on a monthly or completely random basis. 
You can Donate through PayPal, or the mailing address:

                                                                Ryan and KatieAnn Ficker
                                                                PO Box 263
                                                                Marine, IL 62061

Thank you for the love!

The Letter I Will Never Write:

Sorry for the delay, yikes, it has been 2+ months since I wrote last.
Here we are, nearing our 12 month mark in Guatemala. Has it really been that long? That's it? No longer?   Or: Has it really been that long? You mean I have survived a year of this?

Yup, that’s right! We have gone nearly 12 months without working out in a real gym, having a night out alone as parents, or getting the kids to their Pediatrician for a check-up. Your right, my track record was less than glorious for all of those before we moved here.

Looking to the south

It is August now, and we find ourselves nearing completion on the Hospital, no silly not all of it. We have almost all of the drain lines in the ground. One room left, and all the patient rooms will be completed. All except for beds, lights, a roof, bathrooms, and ceiling we are practically home free!!! Okay, okay, enough sarcasm! 

 
 
 

Looking to the North

The floors are all poured, except for two, in all the rooms. We have raised all the block walls but a few, and the roof is starting to take shape. The steel trusses are being placed, and welded, and welded, and welded, and (the lights dim) cut to size. The roofing is all on site, and once we find insulation to lay onto the roofing panels, we will be able to begin covering the portions that have the trusses in place.

Roof Trusses inside the Chapel

The well is at a depth of 600 feet. We are expecting the tubes to arrive, well last week, in order to case the well with perforated tubes. After this, we will be able to lower the pump, attached to the water line, and hook up the power. Oh, but then then fun begins... but in the end we will have clean, pressurized water.



My sunflower patch (Don't worry, not my house on the right)



We had about 50 people come through our little community, either visiting for a few days, or pitching in to help for a week. The dynamic is ever changing for us here, but to think that we have survived it, gives me hope that maybe, just maybe we will be able to manage all that is in store with the completion of the hospital/clinic.



My House (Go ahead and worry)



I find myself daydreaming more lately, thinking of strolling through Walmart, walking into my Grandma’s house, wondering what my garden looks like this year, without me? The places my mind will go untempered. I often think about writing home, like in the olden days, you know, in the 90’s, years ago! Writing a letter once a month, once a year to family or friends, just an update or a little sliver of love, wrapped in paper, penned with care. I don’t write letters often, practically never, at least ones that don’t come over the internet. .

What would I write if I did, who knows, but I can tell you what I will never write….

I will never write that I have it all completely figured out.

I will never write that I am thoroughly enjoying my international tour through Europe. I will never write that I am lounging on my yacht, drinking champagne. I will never write that I am a cat person. I will never write how thankful I am that Dr.Pepper is not distributed in Central American markets. I will never write that I am torn between spending the summer at my vacation home in The Hamptons or my cabana in Cancun. I will never write to my Mom, or tell her I don’t miss her. I will never write my family back home, and tell them I am glad I can’t see them and that I am relieved to be missing all our family gatherings. I will never write that I think my ‘teaching’ skills are heightened BECAUSE I AM THE MOM, and that I was born to homeschool. I will never write that I have never been burnt out as a missionary, as a mother, or as a spouse. I will never write a letter to God and tell him I completely understand what he has planned, for me, my family, the nation.

How could I? How could I describe the way He continually baffles me. The way that I can feel His encouragement in the breeze as it rolls through the window, stirring the curtains, and flaunting the mountains.

How could I deny the passion He has for His People here? Oh, the ends that He has gone too, to provide for and fund the construction thus far. To supply for me to feed my children and work for nothing! Only to receive everything I could never earn, in due time? A gentle strength that causes the Earth to quake, and can humble us all in the blink of an eye.

All this and more is at the Heart of questions I will never ask, only to be answered with a word that will never be written loud enough, or bold enough or big enough...

Love

Just four little letters that carry the hope of the world! If they are enough to cover me and my sins, than they are enough to cover yours, and anyone you know, will meet or overlook. 

Now, if we can just get ourselves out of the way, enough to make room for them…

that is the challenge we all face, together.

The Calm After the Storm

It never ceases to amaze me, the resilience that we have as humans against the most debilitating circumstances, only to be completely leveled by a few words carried on a harsh tone, or an un-ideal scenario in the midst of a bad day.

Yes, we are still manually loading the rock crusher.

In the days following my last post, which felt more like a one sided confession, I received an outpouring of responses. Some of them simple and sweet, other responses were encouraging from readers who interpreted my feelings as homesickness, and in them all, I felt an undeniable confirmation that I, as a missionary-blogging-momma, am responsible for sharing the honest truth, deep and real, of our lives here. So, Thank You, to every one who is out there reading faithfully, and a great big hug to those of you who took the time to respond or share our blog with someone.

We are continuing to forge ahead on all fronts. The chaos surrounding our home has been steady, and often it seems as though it is invading our living room.




Working into the dark to get the cement pad just right!

I know it can be challenging to comprehend the way in which we live here and the vastness of the project we have taken on. There are days I would like to understand less or just forget about the work that needs to be done or the supplies that we don't have, much less cant find. Those are not the days I appreciate the weight of what is continuing in my yard. Fortunately, those are also the days that growth as a Christian painfully pushes its way to the surface.

There are so many differences from the culture we knew back home, to the culture we try to adapt into here in Guatemala. The sub-culture of we have created seems normal to us now, and I am sure most of what makes traveling back to American soil so challenging, and sometime traumatic. The amount of time and energy to we see being poured into temporary happiness is usually the most drastic change we see.

I wonder if I am happy here, or should I say happier here in Canilla, El Quiche, Guatemala? (google it)  I think back to the times in my life where I was 'happy', to the point of feeling almost ecstatic constantly. I can't say there were times that I never felt sadness or disappointment, but I can remember eras of joy. Like high school marching band during senior year, I remember feeling like I was on top of the world. Then when I was dating then engaged and married to Ryan. Those first few years were irreplaceable, and yet I can still recall some very hard days, and hefty disappointments.

And then fast forward to now.... Are there days when I would rather just keep the curtains pulled, and doors closed, and pretend to have a normal life. Sure. Do I have times of homesickness? You bet! Does that change the gravity of the situation here in Canilla?  Certainly not.

I am afraid that if after the move to Guatemala I did not experience any sense of loss or longing for the people or things we miss, than what quality of life did we live before? I am reminded by the widow in the Bible who gave all she could. (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4)  The power of her two coins was in the weight of her sacrifice. Had she given less, a more 'comfortable' donation, would she have received the same blessing? Would Jesus have taken note of her generosity had she been wealthy or middle-class? Did those two mites cost her something more than two mites? I know typically, in our American culture, giving of what we have, when we don't have 'enough' or extra is not considered logical. It seems a little crazy to give past comfortable. I wonder if He would want us live within our comfort zone, not only with our finances, but all elements of our lives. I guess you could say that this is where I feel we moved to. There should be a sign somewhere at our gate, "Welcome to Beautiful Canilla! 1,656 miles past comfortable!!!" 



Ryan enjoying his 32nd birthday gift from his family!

Those days I want to lock ourselves away, drown out all the noises, and dust and mud, and bugs! Those are the days of stretching and growth. Like I shared last time, those are usually the times when our natural, logical thinking of 'pain is bad and happiness is good', end up pushing to the surface and make it more challenging than normal to hear that still, small voice that can only come when we are listening and willing.



Meet, Fudge!!!!

Oh, I pray I am able to life my eyes beyond the dust, (and beyond the rock, the rock crusher, the skid loader, the block and cement)  and all the challenges that come from the continual cycle of progress and preparation. And when I finally am able to pry my focus off of myself, if only I can see the beauty in the storm, and the power of the sacrifice that we all make here, as missionaries, to the great commission, and to this great cause that we are so fortunate to be a part of.

My prayer is that you will find the strength to do the same in your life, whether on a small scale or a large one, and never  look back on your decision with regrets, but feel encouraged by the prospect of the future and the opportunities it may hold.

Thank you for reading, sharing in this journey with us, and your unrelenting support of the work we share here in Guatemala.

When is it OK to fail?

Shew,
I am glad that is over....

I waited and waited for an instant yesterday,when my life, as I know it, would change. I am now 29. I am glad to have survived yet another year, and hope that I have leaned something in the process.


The container I mentioned has been emptied, and sits at rest in Quiche, the last town with paved roads on the way to Canilla (where we live/work).  The day the guys shuffled all the contents into smaller trucks and trailers was sprinkled with blocked roads, directing traffic and lots of driving.

We have not unloaded any of the supplies yet, but I think we will begin the tedious process of unpacking and organizing all the contents so we can find it when we need it tomorrow... oh you know what? I think I am 'busy'. Bummer!!!!



L to R: Duane*,Dave, Leland, Joe, Brian, Aaron*, Ryan*
*Not from Iowa

The group from Iowa was a good change of pace, and a reminder of the wealth of knowledge that comes from experience. After they left us here in Canilla, our family took the opportunity to return to Guatemala city for a few days. We were able to take the kids bowling one night near the hotel. The swimming was the highlight, and we have had our fill of fast food and French fries for al least a months. It is always funny to me that we never ate at McDonalds or Burgerking back home, but as soon as we can, we end up at one of these 'fine' establishments during any trip to the city.
For the children, of course!

 In the days after we got home last week, I was kind of mopey. We had once again, been left behind. The McQuillen family had left us, the group from Iowa had left us.   I wanted to run away, run back home to what I know as familiar. I wanted to be able to go to church again, I wanted to be able to drive to a store, or drive to a restaurant, and just work for a living, work for ourselves like everyone else.  I kept reminding myself, and God, that this, here in Canilla, is not where I 'belong'. This is not my 'home'. I deserve to be 'home'. I belong around old barns, and John Deere tractors, and BBQ restaurants. I wondered if He was understanding, did He get it? Why couldn't He have compassion on me and let me be 'home'? Where I was comfortable, where I had all the access to things I wanted and the resources to get them, sometimes.

I went on like this for a few days. You can imagine that I really just made it worse with all my self pity. You may be thinking "How could she want to be anywhere but in the midst of what God is doing in Canilla?" Well, that is one of the things about honesty, it is not usually very flattering. I am sory if this is too honest, but I guess most people know that I have a hard time keeping anything to myself. Someone told me last week, "We don't ever have to wonder what you are thinking".... Oh well...... after a period of self loathing, my middle son was asking me a series of questions about God, and Jesus. He wanted to know what God looked like, when He was born and other typical questions you would expect from a 5 year old.  I was thinking of Jesus, and His life here, on earth, and it occurred to me, that not only did Jesus 'get it' but he lived it. He was away from home, he was about as far away from where he felt he belonged as one can get. Not only did he experience what I had been feeling, but he was not only unappreciated by the people around Him that He worked for, but was persecuted and killed by them.  

 Ouch.

So have I learned anything in the last year? Have I gotten any smarter? I hope so, at least I can now openly acknowledge that I am stubborn, hard-headed, and sometimes very self centered. I guess we know that honesty comes with age, or for me it just comes. 

We have a lot of work to do here, and as determined as I am to see the task completed, I am not so sure I am capable of all the skills one would need to do all that is required. I am not a plumber, I am not a Doctor, I am not a writer, I am not a.... well, I am actually not an anything. I never graduated college, I never had a career outside other than, actually I never held a job for more than 6 months.  I don't think anyone could be less qualified for this project than I.

I don't know who God had in mind for this task, but he got me.


       ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.   - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10



And all the more proof that He is at the helm, and I am simply along for the ride.
I only hope I can hold on.
You know what, I think he is probably holding onto me.



Inside Chapel/Prayer Room

The Chapel/Prayer Room



The ER



The ER

Kicking and Screaming!

Can you believe it, I am still alive. The in-laws didn't even dis-own me over the last post, I don’t even think they saw it, so I guess we know who my avid followers are. Who can blame them, they get to hear me talking to myself all the time anyway, why should they read it to themselves? I am sure the live version is much more entertaining!   

Here we are, April already. I am kind of sad to see it here so soon. This month will begin my last trip around the sun in my twenties. I don’t feel old, and I am not apprehensive about the big ‘three-o’, but I have all these horror stories running through my brain, of when people realized their life was near half over, or they were not quite where they hoped they would be at a milestone in their life......

  I don’t think I feel that way.

I can remember growing up and thinking that I would become a highly revered business professional, would wear fancy clothes, and would eventually, around 30 (28 actually), I planned I would find time to entertain the idea of marrying, but was doubtful I would ever have children. I still, to this day, feel a little inexperienced to have and care for a family.

 I guess all the more proof to give the credit to God for their survival… and mine.

 

We successfully completed the butchering and curing process of our second cow, and are once again eating meat! Red Meat! Aged Red Meat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The underground foundation walls of the Hospital are all poured. We have begun backfilling all trenches and just this morning, digging some of the new channels for the underground drain and water lines.

We have had a few visitors in the last month, and tomorrow, we welcome the first hospital construction specific work team. Four men from Iowa will be joining us for a week, with hopes of getting the ball rolling on all the underground rough-in plumbing. I say with 'hopes of', because we don’t actually have any of the pipes or supplies yet. I know, I know. Sounds crazy right!

Someone asked me a few weeks ago, how we were able to coordinate a group to come down and help with plumbing, at exactly the right time. This still makes me chuckle. As a dates & numbers gal, this is definitely something I tried desperately to accomplish. No matter how may expectations we placed on the construction progress, it was always impossible to predict. There are too many variables, and unknowns, not to mention when you throw any one of us Fickers into the mix, things just get downright crazy!   
 

 

The crew unloading block onto the block stock pile

But here we are. The team arrives tomorrow, mid-day. The shipping container, loaded to the gills with plumbing supplies, is in port in Guatemala, and has been a large consumption of energy over the last two weeks to speed its release. We are expecting the container to be in-transit by tomorrow morning, and that should put the contents into Canilla, after a long day of shuffling the contents from one rig to another and driving over the last few dirt roads, Thursday evening.

So, how do we plan ahead? We don’t! I will say it again, for my own sake, WE DON’T, He does. Oh, I have tried. I will continue to try, I am sure… But I yearn to follow His lead. Sometimes kicking and screaming, and other times obliviously. Sure we make general plans, but in the end, we attempt to build our lives around how the Holy Spirit leads, that still, small voice. We are unable to ignore it, but so quick to neglect it, and convince ourselves otherwise.

I pray your lives can afford the flexibility to succumb to His Schedule, and His Agenda, and His Plan for your lives. Thank you for your prayers, and encouragement, and continued support of what we are attempting to accomplish here in our corner of the world. We are grateful for every thought, kind word, and portion of provision.

Blessings in Disquise

As we returned from Mexico last week, we rolled right into hosting our first actual 'Team'  as a ministry since we moved down last year.  It feels good to know that we survived, and possibly even handled some of the elements well, thought the group may have a completely different take on the week.

As we reach any milestone, it make me feel reflective and bloggy... that's an 'add to dictionary' term.

And in those reflections, as I have realized the unexpected perks of the job, or should I say, the perks of career volunteerment.
   
      (Yes, they require bullet points)
     

     - Bees Everywhere-  All the trees in the yard are covered in bees. The boys know this from climbing them, and being 'welcomed' with them swarming around, but I know this from observing all the blossoms. I cant say I have ever hear of orange blossoms, but the aroma is like a sweet perfume, that reminds me of the Gardenia flowers in my Grandma's back yard. The trees are filled with tine green fruits now, and I am looking forward to picking all the plump fruits in the months to come. Your right, I am looking forward to my children picking them.



     - Living on a construction site -  The biggest blessing with Ryan being Ryan, is that he is always home, even when he is working. I don't have to use the 'you just wait till your father comes home' routine, instead, I can just simply say, go tell your Dad..... I don't normally do this, because I am a softy, but I know the threat of dual parenting at any moment is always helpful. Not to mention the chance of mid morning 'how's it going' with a kiss....

     - Cockroaches - I am not so much grateful for them, as I am grateful that I am not 'freaked out' over them. They have been streaking across our floor in the evening, and I think we all pitch in with trying to catch them, with our shoes anyway, almost out of sport. Obviously, once they make contact, all bets are off. For now, we are still the dominant species, and I am holding out that the ceiling will eventually curb their presence.

     - Running out of Water - The last few weeks have been hard on our community water supply. After a few days of next to nothing coming out of the faucet, we proactively went to the river for a bath. Ryan was not interested first hand, but was there to help with the drying and bathing. I couldn't help but think about all the stories of my mother swimming and bathing in untraditional places. I know she would have loved it, and despite the foot of muck on the river bottom, I loved it also. I am already looking forward to my next excuse to drag mu family down to the river o bathe.

       - A Spontaneous Three Day (Viral) Cleanse- This was not by choice but loosing 5% body weight in 24 hours has it perks. I pray to avoid any of these in the near future, and that the rest of the family can do the same. In the mean time, I am slowly recouping. I have been standing for a few hours now, with only slight dizziness, so I think I am on the mend. I think the recovery process is the blessing here. All the family pitching in to take care of the kids, and feed them.

     - IN-LAWS- (Ha Ha!) Now, seriously, this is an easy one, for any of you who have these, you too have discovered this hidden treasure. Not only do they love your kids, (even when you need a breather)  but the can also, at least in my case, completely relate to your life, because they have lived it, 30 years in the making.



Well, if you are still with me, and I have not bored you with my ranting's, than maybe you can relate. I know we are only given what we can handle, but I feel like I should have crossed over into hands in the air, I give up, fetal position a long time ago. I am always reassured by the prayers and encouraged by the support that comes from where we least expect it.

I know we are all in this together, and I may need to read this post for myself in the coming months, or weeks, or tomorrow. I know God does not give me confidence in myself, or in my strength or bravery (lol), but in the Strength I have through Him.  I hope you can lean on Him in your life, and as we continue to work through the next few weeks together, that you would find many blessings in your life, new or newly noticed.      

PS: In Laws, Please don't be mad at me!        

Who needs a sloppy pet kiss?



Why do I always wait so long to make a blog update? I end up looking back at the pictures I have taken on my camera, and as I try to put them together into a sensible order that I can narrate, I realize my life, as I know it, well, as I've always known it, is nothing short of a crayon box filled with chalk, scissors and glue.

What a strange combination. I suppose this is typical of Do-what-needs-to-be-done-hood. I may never know what a 'normal' life is like.

But, I can rest assured that I have been hand crafted for this craziness. Equipped with the skills to get by, and lean on the One who actually has the skills( no not Ryan, though he is handy)

Progress, as you can see, has been steady and evolving. We have progressed onto the north line of the building with footings and stem walls, and we have nearly half of the stem walls poured.



The next step, is to start the plumbing that will go under the ground, and the main electrical lines also. These are two major areas of the hospital construction, and they will require a substantial amount of supplies and  materials.

It has been amazing to see all the supplies roll into a shipping container, that as of the 10th of march will begin its voyage down the Atlantic coast, into the Gulf of Mexico, and arrive in Guatemala on the 25th of March.  We are excited to see the next shipment of supplies, but at the same time, this is just a big reminder of what needs to be done.

The Well Rig also arrived recently. They have already reached 120 ft deep, and have about 500ft to go. We hope the crew can keep up the pace, and avoid any rock that might be lurking below.  We can expect another month of drilling, but if we hit rock, we can expect much longer.

It has been great to see progress here, and as we approach March, we also approach the 6 month mark for our relocating to Guatemala.
Because of this we are forced to leave the country. Tickets home are expensive, and with the project moving along, we will lake just a few days to renew our tourist visas in Mexico. I know, MEXICO! I have never been there, and as a Midwesterner, I have only read scary things about Mexico. We have decided that this is the best option for us now, and have done some research and asking around, and feel like we can brave the trip next week. I don't think it is actually much different than Guatemala, but we are looking forward to the change of pace and getting away from the construction for a few seconds.

In other news, we welcomed our new 'puppy' to the family. He is a three year old, 100 pound baby! The neighbors are slightly afraid of him, and when they ask if he is mean, I like to say 'sometimes'. He has been a fun addition to our family. We learned last week on our trip to swim in the river that he enjoys the water. He was fun to play with, but I definitely will say, that big guy lunging toward you in the water is a little unsettling. He is a sloppy, wet kisser. And the kids (just the kids) all love it.


We also ventured out and purchased a cow. We hope to giver her a little time to graze, add some weight, and butcher her in a week or two.
The cow we butchered last November is completely gone, and we have seen a high demand for more, mostly from Ryan.

We are excited to see what the future holds for our family. Our new home, is finally beginning to feel like it, and it is nice to begin to work towards long term goals, and feel as though our future will be slightly less up-in-the-air.  Next week, we will see the first work team to come help on the hospital, and we are looking forward to the boost, extra sets of hands, and time to share the message of why a hospital and why here.

Thanks for reading, and would someone please write to  me in two weeks and remind me that it is TIME to write an update on here!!!!! I fear time may get the best of me yet again.

In the muck and a sky of fire

 Life continues to press on here, as I am sure it does everywhere else. The crew has completed digging and prepping almost half the hospital footings, and we have begin pouring the concrete one level at a time. We have completed the entire west perimeter wall footings and hope to pour the stem walls over a portion of these this coming week.

 The process is intense and requires many hands on deck. They are able to pour about 16 cubic yard of concrete per day into the prepared footings if all the raw materials are ready and waiting. Ever step takes time, and there are always details that require tweaking from the time before and rethinking from what we have expected.


All in all, the progress has been good, and has shown us all just exactly what we have gotten 
 ourselves into.

The progress we have made so far has given us a better idea of what to expect, and we are able to estimate the timeline for the next year. We have had interest from churches and individuals to come down and pitch in, and we are excited by this, because it is confirmation for us that we have not been asked to bear this burden alone.

We were able to move over to the 'new' house last Sunday, and have completely vacated our previous residence. We started the move in the morning, and Ryan sealed our fate, with deciding to move all the beds first. I cant say I look forward to relocating again any time soon, but this move was much shorter and with no sad goodbyes. We are all enjoying the new house, in its almost kind-of done stage.

I am enjoying a fence around the house, for the first time in motherhood.  The gates remain latched, but without locks at this time. We only have a few escapees a day, and we are working on that.


The dust has been brutal on our house cleaning schedule. I have never been one to keep an immaculate home, but sweeping twice a day, and needing a scoop shovel (ok, not really) to take out the dirt, seems a little crazy!  

 We spent a little time yesterday on our day off, and cleaned out the horse through for a makeshift swimming hole for the kids.
There were a myriad of little swimming critters and not so nice smelling goop at the bottom. Of course, we found the drain after the fact.

Tomorrow, we will be hosting, as a ministry, an Open House/Groundbreaking/Dedication ceremony for the Hospital. We hope to have a large turnout of municipal officials as well as local and Nation supports of the project. We will cater and feed all who attend with the hope of spreading the word as to the intentions of the hospital as well as the purpose for the project as a whole. 

I hope to have some good pictures from the ceremony tomorrow. And what it looks like from here as we continue to traverse the gap between our native culture, and the native culture with Jesus and Love at the center.