“Yes, yes, we have approved your application for
another four-year term ending 6/30/2021! Breathe Debbie, just breathe!”
As we closed our winter
letter, we shared with you our calling to apply for another term of mission
coworkers. Though we’ve sensed the call to continue the work we started in
Guatemala, and received encouragement from our Guatemalan partners, colleagues
and supervisors, and from many of you, we had to face and prepare for the
possibility that our time in Guatemala might be coming to a close at the end of
our first term.
We
opened this letter with the enthusiastic reply from Del Braaksma, our Mission
Coordinator with the mission personnel team in order to share with you the good
news. We’ve been approved for another
four-year term in Guatemala! As we write this letter, the time for the end of
our first term, and the beginning of our second term is upon us. So, we’d like
to take advantage of this annual ministry update to reflect on God’s
faithfulness throughout these last for years, and share some of our hopes and
dreams for the four years that lay ahead. Here are some stories that have accented
our journey as mission coworkers.
Orientation:
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| World Mission Orientation - The Journey Begins |
“As
an overseas mission worker, you’ve got to remember the need to take care of
yourself. ‘Self-care’ can never be an afterthought. You will never be effective
in a new place, language, and culture if you don’t have a plan for taking care
of yourself.” To our surprise, among all the valuable
information gained in our World Mission orientation, this advice has been one
of the most beneficial. ‘Paz en la Tormenta’ (Peace in the Storm) is a new song
we learned early in our new church experience. We’ve learned to “Be still and
know that God is God”. And in those still moments, we remember that there are
so many people praying for us, and the peace rushes over us.
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| Language School in Quetzaltenago with our very patient teacher |
Language Learning:
“At
what point did we really think we would be able to become proficient in a new
language given our ages and past experiences? What were we thinking?”
About halfway through our 11-week adventure of language school, our brains were
starting to melt down. “I don’t get enough time to practice a concept before
the next lesson is upon me. I feel like an idiot.” Then a friend or a colleague
will comment on our progress. They say, “Wow, you two have certainly come a
long way in your language skills”. A little encouragement right when we need it
the most has consistently been God’s gift to us – lovingly delivered by God’s
messengers, our friends, our colleagues, and family members.
Settling into a home:
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| Making a house a home - A bright and sunny kitchen |
“Well,
the apartment was going to be available, but our daughter has moved home and
now she is in it.” Our hope was to move into an apartment
in Cobán that was previously occupied by mission coworkers we’d gotten to know
from previous trips to Guatemala. It was a familiar place, and we were looking
forward to something known. Those hopes were dashed when the apartment was no
longer available. We were unsettled and worried. Then a friend told us about a
house that had just become available. It was literally just around the corner
from the apartment. The house is large, with a beautiful garden. It has become
our home and a place where we practice hospitality.
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| Theological training in the Q'anjob'al Presbytery |
Getting into “The work”:
We’ll always remember
that first meeting. It was with a national church committee with the responsibility
to develop and execute theological training programs for the growing number of indigenous
church leaders. Fresh from language school we did our best to keep up with the
fast-talking ladino (non-indigenous Guatemalan) members of the committee. We
found ourselves identifying with the representatives of the indigenous
presbyteries who sat quiet and pensive. For these representatives, Spanish was
their second language as well. We were all struggling to keep up. As the
representatives from the US Presbyterian church, we needed to understand the
need and help develop plans aligned with the purposes set forward by the US
donors who were making these programs possible. “Am I getting this right?” Debbie asked as
we did our best to follow the conversations. “This
is going to be tough”.
Riding home from our latest meeting with this group we remembered our first
experience with them. The committee now is chaired by an educated, articulate,
yet soft-spoken Mayan representative, selected by his presbytery. The ladino/a
representation on the committee serve the mission of the group, serving as a
consultant from the seminary, a representative from the women’s association,
and a recording secretary. What a difference a few years and a lot of prayer
have made!
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| Young Mayan scholarship recipients studying at a local secondary school |
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| A young Mayan woman learning traditional weaving techniques via a vocational training program |
Reflecting on these
events started as a way to tell Debbie and Richard’s story. But as we’ve recalled
them, we’ve been reminded of how much our story has been the story of all
who’ve walked alongside us. The connections that have been created and nurtured
over these past four years have made this journey a living one. Despite the amazing
encouragement we’ve received so far from so many of you, there is still
financial need. So we must continue to ask for your prayers and consideration
of your ongoing support for our position, even as we thank you so much for the
way you have held us up so far.
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| A visiting delegation making the overland trek to spend time with their partners |
As we look forward to
our next term, we hope to expand a new adult literacy program that provides the
required secular education certification to indigenous church leaders that will
allow them to continue formal seminary-level studies. Supporting indigenous
young people in their pursuit of a formal education beyond the primary grades
has been an exciting and rewarding endeavor for us and our US partners. We hope
to connect more students with sponsors as the program grows. And as the
enthusiasm grows among many US partners, we’re excited about working alongside
many more creative and innovative vocational programs. Our experiences here
have confirmed what we already know: Nothing is too hard for God!
Blessings to you as we celebrate
God’s faithfulness in the past and our hope for the days ahead!
Be still and know... that nothing is too hard for God!
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