5 years ago today we arrived, bag and baggage, at the Guatemala City airport intending to stay for one year. It was the first time the kids had been on an airplane. It was the first time I seriously questioned whether or not God really knew what He was doing. I remember feeling so overwhelmed it was like I was in a daze. All I kept thinking was, "One year, Dayle, you can do it for one year." And that made me feel so comforted.
I didn't expect to ever feel like I was at home here in Guatemala. I kept thinking of Minnesota as home. I kept holding on to the fact that I was only here for one year so I didn't need to get attached. I didn't need to really learn the language. I didn't need to figure out the open air market. It was all too much, so I didn't think about it.
Until God showed us that we were here until He moved us. Whenever that would be.
So I started looking at places to live and found the home we have been in for 4 1/2 years. I started making an effort to learn Spanish. I started to make a big effort to learn how to shop the open air market for my family. I started to not get so nervous about my kids when they would get sick (we live here, parasites are sometimes part of the fun!). And I found myself slowly loving what I had been given.
I'm so thankful that God knows so much better than I what exactly I need for my life. I'm so thankful that He sees my desires before I even know them myself! How could I know that in just 5 short years Guatemala would feel so much like home that the thought of leaving, even for a short time, makes me just stressed out! The thought of not doing soup run or seeing my friends at church or the kids at the base or the DTS students who come and go would make me so sad? The thought of waking up and not seeing the beautiful valley we live in surrounded by the gorgeous and majestic volcanoes is unthinkable to me now.
How could I know that I would compare the market with the grocery stores back in MN and the market would win?! I never guessed that throwing the toilet paper in the garbage next to the toilet instead of flushing it would become so second nature to me and normal that on the few occasions that we do visit the US and can flush, we forget! And, I love driving here in a passive-agressive sort of way! I love my street Spanish! And the thought of not kicking off the Christmas season with the burning of the devil and then walking to Central Park to see all the Christmas lights is unthinkable.
At this point, Christopher has lived most of his growing up years here. Bailey's memories of MN are good, but, her memories of Guatemala are shaping her. Alicia wants to make this her home. What kind of people will this experience make them? I can't wait to find out.
I love Minnesota and it will always be "home". But, I'm grateful that there is place in our hearts for more than one "home". I'm thankful that Guatemala has become home to us and the people here are like family.
Who knew?
--Dayle
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Updates on all our Stuff!
It has been one crazy time in Casa de Annand! We have enjoyed the DTS (discipleship training school) students being here since the end of July. 4 of those students were from the Lake Atitlan area of Guatemala. Spanish was actually their second language since their families are indigenous. They were awesome! We also had 3 students from the USA who were a blessing to us and our kids--our kids miss them now that they are all in Haiti on outreach! It was a lot of fun to have them over for dinners, game nights, movies, whatever. We are so grateful for the opportunity to work with people like that. Truly a blessing for our family.
There have also been some changes as far as our home schooling journey goes. As many of you know, it's been a lot of years of praying for friends for our kids. We had some friends, many who lived far enough away that we couldn't get there on a regular basis for one reason or another. It's been a lonely time sometimes! But, this past spring several new families moved into our area with kids our kids' ages! So awesome! Since they are all homeschoolers as well, we decided to start a learning co-op. So now, on Thursdays, we do art, music, and science at our co-op in our church building here in Antigua. We have 12 families and about 23 kids! It's just a huge amount of fun and a great ministry to missionary kids and their families.
Since then, we've had movie nights, dinners, parties for the kids in the co-op to get together outside of Thursdays. Also, our church now has a youth group and we are so thankful! So many opportunities opened up in the past few months for our kids to have friends and activities that are so important!
We are so thankful to be living in Antigua doing what we do. Even though there are a lot of daily challenges, we wouldn't want to be anywhere else!
New things that are coming up is Mark's potential trip to Haiti to meet up with our students while they are on outreach. We are hoping to raise another $1300 to help pay for the trip. Please pray! We need to have the money raised in the next few weeks as he is hoping to be gone by Thanksgiving for 2 weeks of ministry and outreach into Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It's not a cheap trip!
We also are still plugging away at raising money for our car. We want to get it completely paid off by the end of December. We don't know what we'd do without our vehicle, it's become really important because of soup run, and so many other ministries that we do. It's also going to hopefully allow Mark and a team of other guys to do more outreaches into outlying communities coming up next year. More on that later!
Soup run is going well. We continue to go out once a week and hand out food to between 30-40 people on the streets of Antigua. During that time, we can also pray with them and minister to them. Through this ministry we met Jason, a 16-year-old boy who lives on the street and is addicted to glue. We have found a place that is willing to take him despite is addiction and help to rehabilitate him--Teen Challenge in Guatemala City. Jason and Mark visited last week and after filling out all the paper work and touring the facility, Jason got scared and decided not to go in. Mark had to bring him back to Antigua and drop him off on the streets again. Please pray that Jason stays safe until he gets the help he needs.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. We couldn't continue to do what we do in Guatemala if it wasn't for the faithfulness of all who believe in what we are doing and support us! You are a blessing to us!
There have also been some changes as far as our home schooling journey goes. As many of you know, it's been a lot of years of praying for friends for our kids. We had some friends, many who lived far enough away that we couldn't get there on a regular basis for one reason or another. It's been a lonely time sometimes! But, this past spring several new families moved into our area with kids our kids' ages! So awesome! Since they are all homeschoolers as well, we decided to start a learning co-op. So now, on Thursdays, we do art, music, and science at our co-op in our church building here in Antigua. We have 12 families and about 23 kids! It's just a huge amount of fun and a great ministry to missionary kids and their families.
Since then, we've had movie nights, dinners, parties for the kids in the co-op to get together outside of Thursdays. Also, our church now has a youth group and we are so thankful! So many opportunities opened up in the past few months for our kids to have friends and activities that are so important!
We are so thankful to be living in Antigua doing what we do. Even though there are a lot of daily challenges, we wouldn't want to be anywhere else!
New things that are coming up is Mark's potential trip to Haiti to meet up with our students while they are on outreach. We are hoping to raise another $1300 to help pay for the trip. Please pray! We need to have the money raised in the next few weeks as he is hoping to be gone by Thanksgiving for 2 weeks of ministry and outreach into Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It's not a cheap trip!
We also are still plugging away at raising money for our car. We want to get it completely paid off by the end of December. We don't know what we'd do without our vehicle, it's become really important because of soup run, and so many other ministries that we do. It's also going to hopefully allow Mark and a team of other guys to do more outreaches into outlying communities coming up next year. More on that later!
Soup run is going well. We continue to go out once a week and hand out food to between 30-40 people on the streets of Antigua. During that time, we can also pray with them and minister to them. Through this ministry we met Jason, a 16-year-old boy who lives on the street and is addicted to glue. We have found a place that is willing to take him despite is addiction and help to rehabilitate him--Teen Challenge in Guatemala City. Jason and Mark visited last week and after filling out all the paper work and touring the facility, Jason got scared and decided not to go in. Mark had to bring him back to Antigua and drop him off on the streets again. Please pray that Jason stays safe until he gets the help he needs.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. We couldn't continue to do what we do in Guatemala if it wasn't for the faithfulness of all who believe in what we are doing and support us! You are a blessing to us!
Rescue Mission
It was one of the most inspiring news stories I’ve ever seen: 33 miners from Chile were recently rescued after being buried alive for over 2 months nearly ½ mile underground! During the first 17 days of their nightmare they had no communication with the outside world and they had almost nothing to eat. A team of people finally discovered them and then worked to get them supplies and drill a hole to rescue them. Rescue workers were sent down to the miners and all 33 were pulled up one-by-one in an escape pod barely big enough for them to stand in. The rescued miners were embraced by friends and family and surrounded by a crowd of cheering people. Finally, the rescue workers were brought up as well. There are some things about this story that parallel our experience as Christians:
1) We were also rescued from a dark pit.
We were lost in our darkness until the light of the Gospel came to us.
2) Now we are the first-responders sent to rescue those who are still in the darkness.
We are the only preachers God has.
Romans 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and
how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher?”
3) There was only one way for the miners to be rescued- through a very narrow passage. For us there is only one narrow way to salvation also, through Jesus Christ.
Mat 7:14 “…strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it.”
Joh 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
4) Those being rescued couldn’t do anything to save themselves. All they could do was get into the pod and trust it to carry them to the surface. All we can do is trust Jesus to raise us up from darkness to light. We can’t do any work to contribute to our own salvation.
5) The rescuers worked as a team, each having their part to play. Each of us in the
church have a part to play in the rescue of lost souls. Some preach, some provide
support to the preachers, but all need to consciously work toward the same goal. Ultimately it’s
only Jesus who saves people. But he chooses to use us to preach the good news to others so that
they can accept or reject His salvation. We don’t save anyone. We “rescue” people by pointing
them to the only way of being rescued.
6) Each saved miner was celebrated.
Luk 15:10 “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner that repenteth.”
7) The rescuers needed to be rescued too. As a believer, we too face dark times. Sometimes it’s because of disobedience (like Jonah running from the call of God to preach). Sometimes the darkness comes as a test while we are actually obeying the Lord. Either way, we need to trust our lives to the same Jesus Christ that the sinner does. Maybe God gives us dark times to help us remember the hopelessness of people without Jesus.
We’re here on a rescue mission!
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
It only makes sense that we would have the same mission as our Master. Have you been
seeking those who need to be rescued from the darkness? There are MORE than 33
trapped people waiting for you this time!
-Mark
1) We were also rescued from a dark pit.
We were lost in our darkness until the light of the Gospel came to us.
2) Now we are the first-responders sent to rescue those who are still in the darkness.
We are the only preachers God has.
Romans 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and
how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher?”
3) There was only one way for the miners to be rescued- through a very narrow passage. For us there is only one narrow way to salvation also, through Jesus Christ.
Mat 7:14 “…strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it.”
Joh 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
4) Those being rescued couldn’t do anything to save themselves. All they could do was get into the pod and trust it to carry them to the surface. All we can do is trust Jesus to raise us up from darkness to light. We can’t do any work to contribute to our own salvation.
5) The rescuers worked as a team, each having their part to play. Each of us in the
church have a part to play in the rescue of lost souls. Some preach, some provide
support to the preachers, but all need to consciously work toward the same goal. Ultimately it’s
only Jesus who saves people. But he chooses to use us to preach the good news to others so that
they can accept or reject His salvation. We don’t save anyone. We “rescue” people by pointing
them to the only way of being rescued.
6) Each saved miner was celebrated.
Luk 15:10 “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner that repenteth.”
7) The rescuers needed to be rescued too. As a believer, we too face dark times. Sometimes it’s because of disobedience (like Jonah running from the call of God to preach). Sometimes the darkness comes as a test while we are actually obeying the Lord. Either way, we need to trust our lives to the same Jesus Christ that the sinner does. Maybe God gives us dark times to help us remember the hopelessness of people without Jesus.
We’re here on a rescue mission!
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
It only makes sense that we would have the same mission as our Master. Have you been
seeking those who need to be rescued from the darkness? There are MORE than 33
trapped people waiting for you this time!
-Mark
Friday, September 10, 2010
Family Stuff!
Here we are in September and all I can say is, "Where did the summer go?" All those wonderful plans we had--what happened to those!
Here are some things that happened this summer:
Hurricane Agatha
We have a lot of things on here about our ministry after the hurricane. This has been a bad rainy season! The worst in years. The result has been mudslides, washed out roads and bridges, injuries, and even death. Please pray for Guatemala as they dig out of it all.
Alicia turned 16! We had an '80s birthday party for her and it was so much fun!
Alicia's party
I just doesn't seem possible! But, she's 16 and in about a year and a half, she'll be graduating from high school and heading out on her own. Pray for her parents!!!!! Pray for God's direction for Alicia and that she would clearly hear His voice.
Then there was the usual--Alicia had surgery, Christopher broke his arm, immigration stuff--God was faithful in every situation and we are so blessed!
Now, something new! Anyone who knows me, knows how passionate I am about our kids! I love our kids! I love teaching them and watching them grow and learn. They have been blessed recently with great missionary friends who are the same ages as them and are also being homeschooled. So great and a huge answer to prayer for us! In response to this, we've started a learning co-op at our church here in Antigua where they learn science, music, art, and mayan weaving. They also get to hang out with friends and build relationships. So important! Here are some pictures of our first day of ministry to missionary kids and moms!
Such a great opportunity! Our kids are blessed and so is our family!
Here are some things that happened this summer:
We have a lot of things on here about our ministry after the hurricane. This has been a bad rainy season! The worst in years. The result has been mudslides, washed out roads and bridges, injuries, and even death. Please pray for Guatemala as they dig out of it all.
Alicia turned 16! We had an '80s birthday party for her and it was so much fun!
I just doesn't seem possible! But, she's 16 and in about a year and a half, she'll be graduating from high school and heading out on her own. Pray for her parents!!!!! Pray for God's direction for Alicia and that she would clearly hear His voice.
Then there was the usual--Alicia had surgery, Christopher broke his arm, immigration stuff--God was faithful in every situation and we are so blessed!
Now, something new! Anyone who knows me, knows how passionate I am about our kids! I love our kids! I love teaching them and watching them grow and learn. They have been blessed recently with great missionary friends who are the same ages as them and are also being homeschooled. So great and a huge answer to prayer for us! In response to this, we've started a learning co-op at our church here in Antigua where they learn science, music, art, and mayan weaving. They also get to hang out with friends and build relationships. So important! Here are some pictures of our first day of ministry to missionary kids and moms!
Monday, July 12, 2010
God Wins Again- satan Loses. Ha Ha
On June 18th and 19th some friends and I went to a small town in Guatemala where I was scheduled to teach an evangelism seminar at a church. Unfortunately, the day we arrived someone from the church died. But the seminar wasn’t cancelled, so we moved forward even though things were a little awkward. The distractions that followed made things even more interesting: A bunch of kids showed up for a kids club before the seminar, and we were asked at the last minute to provide the program- so we came up with something. I expected more teens at the seminar, but it turned out to be a mixed crowd that included kids. Those who showed up didn’t seem very excited about the teaching, but it was hard to tell what they were thinking- were they mourning the one who had just died, was it a cultural shyness, were they bored? To make matters more difficult we had to translate a lot of the seminar into 2 different languages which made the teaching a lot longer than usual- I had to abbreviate things quite a bit. Then the power went out briefly during the teaching and we couldn’t get the sound to work for one of the videos I wanted to show. Because of the funeral and the cultural thing of not starting on time the next days classes were shortened from 5 hours to 3 hours. It was a little discouraging.
But, you see, God always has a winning strategy even though it may include some hardships and setbacks. A group of kids at the kids club prayed to receive Jesus into their hearts. Maybe that was the main reason we were there! A girl at the seminar prayed to get right with God too. Yep- it was worth it all. Also, the pastor’s son seemed excited about the teaching, and I have a feeling that he’s going to really use what he received to do some great things where he’s at. So, sorry satan, you lose. God wins. Again.
But, you see, God always has a winning strategy even though it may include some hardships and setbacks. A group of kids at the kids club prayed to receive Jesus into their hearts. Maybe that was the main reason we were there! A girl at the seminar prayed to get right with God too. Yep- it was worth it all. Also, the pastor’s son seemed excited about the teaching, and I have a feeling that he’s going to really use what he received to do some great things where he’s at. So, sorry satan, you lose. God wins. Again.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Disaster
There aren't words to describe the amount of destruction that is in Guatemala right now. Many bridges linking remote areas to the rest of Guatemala have been washed out and destroyed making it difficult to get help to people. Many roads have been washed out. There is a giant sinkhole in Guatemala City that swallowed a 3-story building and you can even see the building anywhere in the picture of that hole. There is mud in the village nearby where our base is from the top of the village and covering the highway below--maybe 1/2 mile or so?
Our village is in a lot of need. Boulders, trees, and mud washed through it like a river taking out houses and businesses in it's path. It's an incredible sight. Reports are that there are over 170 people dead, 175,000 people homeless, and many still missing in Guatemala (average numbers since the papers all differ a little).
Mark and I have been busy since Sunday helping where we can. The first big need was water so our base was able to provide 55 gallons of water. There was a need for food for the church that has been made into a shelter for those who have been affected by the storm and our church here provided pounds of rice and beans for them to cook. Mark dug for 2 mornings trying to help get mud out of some of the houses. Mark and I were able to buy food for some families who are in need of it and get it to them. We saw a need for something for the kids to do who are in the shelter, so we've been doing a kid's club in the afternoons for about 70 kids. Then there's just networking other ministries here who can meet the needs with the people in San Miguel who have the needs.
It's been a big week. A few people have asked, "What can we do to help?" I know the first thing people want to do is send stuff down, that's not a good idea! Really, it might not get to us and if it does, we have to pay to get it from the post office--counter productive. What is needed right now is money to buy the things that are needed and to start helping with the rebuilding that is going to be happening.
Please continue to pray for us and for those affected by the storm. We will update as we are able.
Our village is in a lot of need. Boulders, trees, and mud washed through it like a river taking out houses and businesses in it's path. It's an incredible sight. Reports are that there are over 170 people dead, 175,000 people homeless, and many still missing in Guatemala (average numbers since the papers all differ a little).
Mark and I have been busy since Sunday helping where we can. The first big need was water so our base was able to provide 55 gallons of water. There was a need for food for the church that has been made into a shelter for those who have been affected by the storm and our church here provided pounds of rice and beans for them to cook. Mark dug for 2 mornings trying to help get mud out of some of the houses. Mark and I were able to buy food for some families who are in need of it and get it to them. We saw a need for something for the kids to do who are in the shelter, so we've been doing a kid's club in the afternoons for about 70 kids. Then there's just networking other ministries here who can meet the needs with the people in San Miguel who have the needs.
It's been a big week. A few people have asked, "What can we do to help?" I know the first thing people want to do is send stuff down, that's not a good idea! Really, it might not get to us and if it does, we have to pay to get it from the post office--counter productive. What is needed right now is money to buy the things that are needed and to start helping with the rebuilding that is going to be happening.
Please continue to pray for us and for those affected by the storm. We will update as we are able.
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