Back in the US

Well, after a quick week full, but restful vacation in Guatemala, we're back in Asheville. At least for the day. We flew into Charlotte airport late on Sunday evening, spent the night with good friends in Charlotte. Monday, we began our trip back home to Asheville. We stopped in a little town along the way to meet/reconnect with Brenda, a missionary Melanie worked with in Paraguay, who was in NC attending a conference.

After we got home, we unpacked, did laundry, and ran errands.

Our house is completely packed up since we are leaving for Ohio on August 4th (Monday). We leave today (Tuesday, July 29th) for Summer Camp with the Spanish Eastern District Youth in the Christian & Missionary Alliance. Camp ends Saturday, so we will once again, unpack, do laundry, and minute errands. Sunday is Melanie's neice's 1st birthday, so we will celebrate with her here at our place and have a day with the family (grandparents too, hopefully), before packing the UHAUL on Monday and heading up to Ohio.

We will include more pics of our trip to Guatemala, and of Camp when we get a chance. Thanks for stopping in. And if you remember, you can pray for us at camp with the 20 youth we're taking! We are now accessible by cell phone, so if you need to contact us, that is probably the best way.

The Family

Last night we decided that since we would have extended family visiting this weekend, that we would make tamales, well Rosita would make them and we helped. Here's the biggest wooden stirrer that I've ever used. We had to make the filling and cook it first. Then we cut the string (actually it's a vine that is smaller than what you use for baskets) in order to tie up the banana leaves after we put the tamales inside them to cook. We also played with Andrea (6 yrs) and Ashley (11 months). Jose's brother, Romeo, lives two blocks away, so we have been able to visit with them every night after they get off work.
We are also including a video of Panchito, the guard parrot, who goes crazy when Jose Luis arrives home from work, and a video of how to make a tamale. Enjoy! (They were great, and we're planning on eating more of them on Friday night when the uncles & aunts come over to see us).

Guatemala at last!

We're finally in Guatemala! As we were driving to Jose's parents' apartment from the airport, I was thinking, there are some things you forget until you come back. Like the smell of diesel and exhaust. Like baby cucarachas (I've seen two so far, and that's enough for me). Like the taste of the restaurant, Pollo Campero (Country Chicken). Like coffee and sweet bread at 11pm with the family (and lots of conversation and stories). Like the taste of eggs with chirmol (a typical tomato salsa-- http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/55/Chirmol-Guatemalen-Tomato-Sau87993.shtml ) and fried plantains with cream and cheese for breakfast. YUM! Like Panchito laughing because he LOVES cold showers (it's rainy season here. Also, the water is off from 7am-around 9pm and most people fill up tanks to use during the off time, but unless there is pressure, the water heaters don't work.) Anyway, we are having a ton of fun, we got to meet Jose's 11 month old niece, Ashley, and see Jose's brother's family (Romeo, Heidi, Andrea & Ashley) and of course his parents, Jose Luis and Rosita. We included a video of Panchito enjoying his cold shower in this morning's downpour.

Flying, Vacation, Moving

Well, we are leaving Asheville in 3 hours for Charlotte in order to fly out tomorrow morning to Guatemala for vacation and to see José's family.

Hopefully we will have finished packing the house, and the suitcases, and well we won't forget anything like our toothbrushes or the dog (just kidding, Sofía is staying with my parents this month during our travels).

We'll be in Guatemala for 3 weeks to see family, and have a vacation before a huge change in our lives begins.

Once we arrive back in the US, via Charlotte, we will hopefully catch up with a few friends on the way to Asheville on Monday the 28th. Then, we unpack, do laundry, and pack for Camp on Tuesday with our beloved Middle Schoolers. Needless to say, there's not much time to breathe from now until we leave for Ohio on August 4th.

We get to celebrate my neice's first birthday on August 3rd, and then we pack the UHaul and drive to Ohio on Monday..... We will do short posts with pictures between now and then, but that is a general idea of what this next month entails for us.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks!