Settling into a Rhythm

Well that last four months have flown by! Michael and I have settled into our new home at Hope of Life in Zacapa Guatemala unexpectedly smooth. We would like to share a little peek into our daily life with you.

Settling in…

If I had to give the first three weeks, after we arrived at Hope of Life, a title it would be “21 days of unending blessings”. 

We arrived at Hope of Life after dark to find our new house clean, a fridge full of food and bed made and ready for our exhausted bodies to fall into. After hearing horror stories from almost every single missionary family of their first few weeks and even months here at Hope of Life, I was in disbelief. What a blessing it was to have a house already set up before the arrival of our baby, who was expected in just 4 weeks. Not only that, but having a house meant we had a kitchen which saved us from having to walk up and down 310 steps to the Rancho (cafeteria) before and after every meal.

Within our first two weeks at HOL Michael and I had people come by and hang kitchen cabinets, a group of youth helped paint two rooms in our house, and our living room and dining room fully furnished. We also set up our bed which we hadn’t slept on in 6 months… it truly felt like Christmas! 

The blessings continued as God provided us with a reliable vehicle for half of what we were prepared to spend. We purchased the vehicle from another missionary family and had the joy of sharing stories and encouraging one another.

And then, the little things I prayed would happen before our baby arrived like having screens in our windows, air conditioning,  and the ability to take a hot shower happened literally between the baby’s due date and the day she actually arrived. What can I say? But I serve a God who listens, cares and has confirmed, 100 times more than I even asked, that this is where Michael and I are supposed to be right now. I praise him for his provision, guidance, protection and I am overwhelmed by how much he has done for us.

A peek into my daily life…

Right now, (well, before the covid-19 quarantine) a typical day for me is mostly occupied by caring for our precious baby girl. Being a mom is by far my favorite job I’ve ever had. Evelynn has almost doubled her birth weight in just 8 weeks, she is starting to smile lots and she almost never cries. Michael and I are beyond blessed to have such a perfect baby. 

Outside of caring for the baby, you can find me swinging a jump rope, playing uno, kicking a soccer ball, making friendship bracelets, or painting fingernails with the kids here at the orphanage. Even my best attempt to communicate in Spanish with the kids makes them laugh; I’m sure my spenglish is quite comical.  These are simple activities I try to get outside and do at least 3 afternoons a week because loving on, and getting to know, and sharing life with the children here is how making disciples begins.

One of the highlights of my life and ministry here at HOL is teaching worship dance again! I just started teaching two classes this week. Over half the kids on the dance team act like they don’t care and are difficult to instruct, but I didn’t expect it to be easy and I accepted the challenge. Thankfully I have a daughter of one of the American missionary families on the dance team who loves dancing and is happy to help translate for me while I teach. I am excited to see how God will use dance to impact the lives of these kids and the people watching.

My favorite part of each week is Sunday night fellowship. Michael and I open our home to all the missionary families here at Hope of Life for worship, a time of sharing, and prayer. Sunday evening has become a time of encouragement, relaxation, and inspiration to continue serving the Lord passionately. Michael and I have been truly blessed to find ourselves surrounded by people with real faith, who are sold out for the Lord. We have been warmly welcomed and already feel like we have real family here at Hope of Life.

Well, I meant to post this blog over a month ago, but I suppose “better late than never” is a timeless saying for a reason. God is good, he is providing for all our needs.  We continue to seek the Lord’s guidance as we learn how to serve him effectively in this new place. It has been a joy to start to settle into a rhythm. It is my hope that this peek into our lives will encourage you to choose to look for and rejoice over the ways God is working in your life and blessing you.

Extra pictures…