'Home' for the Holidays

Today, the last day of the year 2013, I’m sitting here trying to figure out what to write about all the things we’ve been doing since leaving Chiquimula (this is the only time I’ve had online since leaving there and will prob. be the last time till getting to Chichi). I’ll try to highlight in writing what we’ve done for Christmas and beyond, and then later sometime, I might come back and give you the pictures and little, but fun, details.

To refresh your memories, I’ve used the following excerpt from one of my first blog posts (titled “Pray for Us”): “We are also hoping to spend some time in the village that has become very near and dear to our hearts, Chijoj/Canilla' (pronounced chee-ho'h (long 'o')/cah-nee-ya'. (Chijoj is a village within walking distance from the town Canilla') Four winters in a row were spent, as a family of 10, living in this village and town, and the place has become like a second home to us.”    

When we left Chiquimula on Thurs. Dec. 19 (exactly 2 weeks after getting there), we were sad to say good-bye to the Bonilla family and the many other friends we made but, at the same time, very much excited to be going ‘home’ to Chijoj to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with the people who call Dad and Mom “Tio” and “Tia” (Uncle and Aunt). The Noriega family lives on the compound that we used to work at with an American missionary, Roscoe Canada, before he passed away several years ago. Several of the kids spent a lot of their childhood here on the compound when it was an orphanage for kids who lost one or both of their parents during the civil war that ravaged Guatemala in the ‘70s and‘80s; and they, along with the local church across the street, are continuing with much of the same the ministry work that Roscoe used to do. The first winter we spent as a family here in 2005-2006, we met Nayo and his sisters, Norma and Alva, when they came to spent Christmas here (although Dad still remembered them from other trips in years past when they had been living at the orphanage). Between 2006 and 2008, they and their younger sister, Elma, moved back to the compound; later, their mom and eventually more of their siblings also moved back to Chijoj, so that now only 2 of the 9 children live in other cities.

The other 2 Noriega siblings and their families came to spend Christmas and New Year’s here this year, so, as Elma said, “The whole family is home for the holidays!” Since the ones who don’t live right on the compound are within walking distance, there was always activity going on with the cousins, and since this is also a ‘hanging out’ place for the neighborhood kids to play soccer, basketball, baseball, and to make use of the playground, the afternoons and evenings were filled with all kinds of games. It’s been mind-boggling to see how the kids have changed since we’ve been here last; many of the guys my older bros. used to play soccer with are now married, some with their own children; the kids who used to come to play every evening are now ‘too old for kids’ games’ (but hang around and still join in sometimes :); and the little tots are now the ones yelling, laughing, running, and playing hard! Times change and people change but God is still the same and we are still created to dream, accomplish, sing, dance, play, and work with the gifts He gives each one of us.    

Another stretching point for me came before the first week here was over. Before we left Chiquimula, I made a remark about hoping that I don’t get asked to translate at church for my dad. I mean, after all, Joe and Bethany are coming in Jan. and Joe’s Spanish is SO much better than mine, so Pastor Rene could just wait till then to have my Dad preach at his church. But, lo and behold, on Sun. before Sun. school for the kids started, Rene told me to ask Dad if he could preach at the evening service the next night. When I asked him who was supposed to translate for Dad, his immediate response was ‘you!’ My protests of, “No puedo!” (“I can’t!”) went unheeded. I asked God why He keeps dragging me into these situations! But, in this case, really more than ever before, I had to rely completely on Him; my Spanish-English dictionary, one of my favorite books right now (I know, I’m weird :), couldn’t help me very much, and I didn’t have access to an amazing app that would translate everything said in English for me (someone really should invent something like that, if it’s not already out there), so I really didn’t have any other options but to, once again, take God at His work that His grace would be sufficient for me in ANY circumstance (2 Cor. 12:9-10). I also realized that in all this, God is really just answering my prayers for less of me and more of Him to be in my life. Maybe I’m just a slow learner, but I am learning! :)       

On Christmas Eve. we and the Noriegas had our family Christmas, complete with tamales, punch, apple pie (our special contribution – not necessarily a traditional Guate. food!), firecrackers, and a bonfire until mid-night! At 10 AM on Christmas day, locals and people from several of the surrounding smaller villages started arriving for the annual festivities that have been a part of the ministry work here for years. There were gifts for the kids and tamales and juice for everyone, in abundance!

This past Sunday, Dad, Julie, Lewis, and I went along with a bunch of people from Pastor Rene’s congregation to an ‘opening the doors’ celebration for the most recent church that a group from Houston, TX built in one of the mountain villages. It takes approx. an hour to drive then an hour more to walk back to Ceboyal. We were treated to more tamales when we got there, then they had a long worship service, after which Dad preached. Thankfully, this time, one of the men from Rene’s church had worked in the States for a while and knew quite a bit of English, so he could do the translating this time.

Tonight, we kids will be playing several songs at Rene’s church for their watch night service. Tomorrow will be another big day with turkey, duck, and donuts to celebrate the New Year. AND my bro. Joe and his fiancee, Bethany, will be flying into the city tomorrow to spend two weeks in Guatemala, so we’ll get to see them very soon!

Until next time – Blessings to you and all your families and friends in the coming year! May God’s love be revealed to each of you in more ways than can be expressed as you walk in the light of His truth.