Moving in

Well, as you may know (or not), we are now living in Cortland, Ohio (near Warren) and José is the Pastor of Missions Ministries at North-Mar Church. http://www.northmarchurch.com/

We are enjoying getting to know Cortland, Warren, and Howland (the surrounding city/townships) and adjusting to the north.

We LOVE the straight roads, they form a grid actually, and so there's virtually no getting lost once you learn a few major roads. Very different from the tangle of roads in Asheville.

We learned that instead of Ingles, we will be doing grocery shopping at Giant Eagle.

But a few things remain the same: 24-hour Wal-Mart, Aldi, and kind people who are helping us transition.

Thanks for the emails and notes of encouragement. We'd love to hear from you. Contact us if you need our address/phone/email, etc...

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!

The Beginning of the Lasts

So, it seems that we are beginning the lasts... We officially have 15 days until Guatemala, which means we should be completely packed for Ohio also. The kitchen/breakables are packed, which was the biggest job. Now, we can relax more and do the detail stuff like forwarding mail and putting services on hold.

We have our last day of work on July 5th, our last time with the Sr. High kids who just graduated on July 6th, our last Middle School youth group on July 2nd, our last church worship service on June 29th, our last time at summer camp with our youth on July 29th, our last time with family (for a while) on Aug.3rd, and our last night at the HUGE, but decrepit yellow house on August 3rd as well, our last goodbyes and last minute packing details on August 4th, and then it's off to Ohio. We're still wondering how it will all go. But this is probably the best move yet for us, the calmest, so far as we have each other to encourage and lean on. We're enjoying the nice surprises that keep popping up, but we also have felt the last minute attempts to get us discouraged.

If you think about us, please be praying. And we'd love to hear from you!

The Big Move

So, we're packing these days. For Guatemala, and a three week respite from life here in the US, and a good time to process what has happened so far. Also time to process what is about to happen as we move to Warren Ohio. And a time to have a relaxing vacation with José's wonderful family. We hope to go to a theme park & water park with the family. It will be fun!! Plus we both miss being in Latin America, and the Chinchillas in Guatemala. We get to meet José's niece who is 10 months, and see Andreita, now 5 yrs. old. Lots of fun!

God knew we would need a break in this transition. It will be a crazy 4 weeks from here until then, packing up the whole house, and packing for Guatemala, and for camp all before we leave, and then living out of suitcases for the following month....But we are about to embark on a new adventure, one where we will be challenged, stretched, encouraged, and grow in many ways.

So, someone please tell me, is there any best way to transition? I mean the emotions that creep up when you least expect it, the reviewing the past time in the current place as you go through belongings and memories that they invoke. The exhaustion because we're still living our normal lives, but adding packing, planning, and a lot of "lasts" that we want to do before we leave. Tying up ends with the church here, with our youth, planning for who will take our place, and praying that we leave things well.

How does one do all this? Well alone, it's impossible. I mean yes, we have moved from and to several different COUNTRIES in the past few years, but well state-to-state is actually harder. At least so far. Anyway, since we're going back overseas in a few years as missionaries, I guess we have to organize our moves.

One good thing. God never changes. When everything else is going crazy, we can count on Him.

Well, peeps, back to packing for us..... : )

Thankful

I'm thankful tonight. Yesterday was full of blessings as the Lord is encouraging us these days. José was finishing homework for an online class (so we don't have to pay for the class) so I did youth group (MIDDLE SCHOOLERS) and it was a great time. I can't pretend to have done it on my own, José helped me prepare the lesson, but God is really working in our kids lives and it is exciting to see the way they absorb the teachings.

Before that, we went to a celebration of life (memorial service) for a missionary to Nicaragua, also was wife to my mentor last year at ACA. It was amazing to see how her life touched so many for the kingdom and how it really was a celebration. It was also a HUGE moment for me to have closure with some of my students I was close to and to see where they are these days and how they're doing. One of my students told me she's going to be a missionary, wants to learn Spanish in Costa Rica "where I did" and major in education. What an encouragment.

And so we continue to pray as the Lord is leading us in a new direction. Yes, that direction is going to be really hard, away from a good job, family and friends and a church family, but God is preparing the way for us as we follow Him.

Thankful

I heard a quote recently, "Gratitude that is not expressed feels like ungratefulness." We just want to take a minute to say thank you to all of you who have impacted our lives. We are grateful for your fingerprints on our lives and your part in our journey. We are also thankful to God who is our faithful provider, who has accompanied us wherever He leads, and who prepares the way for us even when we cannot see it.

Starting to Blog

Well, today is our first year anniversary. Time has certainly flown by this year, but no one tells you how hard your first year will be, add in there residency processes with the government, different cultures, languages, and finally living in the same place for a year (after living in more than 4 countries in the last years). They don't tell you that you have to learn to live on a similar schedule, or that things like raising a dog will be so difficult. But we have enjoyed all of these moments as they have made us grow closer together, stronger in communication, and well they have made us into the couple we are today.

So, we have decided to start a blog, to keep communication with all of you more frequent, and more interactive. Hope you enjoy!