View from the Mountaintop

Close to the top of the mountain sitting under a tree, I look out over the valley below in which nestles the city of Chichicastenango, Guatemala. From this viewpoint, I watch a woman and her two children use a long bamboo stick to knock down coconuts from a tree in their dirt yard close to their house. The house is made of cement blocks and has a tin roof - an upgrade from the adobe houses with tile roofs that their neighbors have higher up on the opposite side of the mountain. The sounds of dogs barking, children laughing, and people shouting to eachother take a few seconds to travel all the way to where I'm sitting, observing. From my perch I can see the winding dirt road cut into the side of the mountain in front of me and hear the slow moan of trucks' engines as they crawl up the steep ingrade. In the valley between these two mountains, on a twisting 'cobblestone' road that runs out of the crowded city, then past the gate of Monte Flor, people walk to the market in town or flag down a 'tuk-tuk' for transportation. This whole valley is filled with houses, people, families...hardly offering any place to go that blocks out the sight and sound of humanity below. As the realization that this will be my home for the next year sinks in, I wonder how many of these people I will come into contact with. Each one has a need - spiritually even more than physically. Each one has a heart that needs love and hope - two things nobody can get too much of. From my mountaintop view, it's easy to see the bigger picture - to mentally travel to houses and homes to connect with people. But it's not always that easy.
A year ago, I was in my room begging God to show me what my next step in life was. He'd placed a burden in my heart for people in need (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) from a very young age. I knew that soon I'd be stepping out to pursue the calling He'd been equipping me for. But where did He want me to go? For a long time, I've seen the needs in my own country, how family and faith are being attacked and destroyed, and I wondered if God was calling me to my own people. Yet, I love travelling and would love to visit the other continents one day. Was He calling me oversees? On a similar note, I've been coming to Guatemala with my family since I was 9 years old and this has become like a second home to me; the culture is easier for me to understand and connect with than many Americans who come down. Was it possible that He'd want me to return for longer than several months at a time? As I cried out, "God, where, when?", He reminded me of "that one time" in Mexico when I was 14 years old.
Our family had stayed in MX that winter instead of coming on down to Guate. and I was having a tough time with it emotionally, cuz it was like starting over again. I didn't know anyone and didn't have the opportunity to make very many friends my age and was wishing that we'd be in Guate. instead. At the end of my pity party - after asking for help with an attitude change - I told God that He could send me wherever He wanted me to go, even if it meant starting over a hundred times.
Last January, He reminded me of that promise. "Did you mean it?"
"God, You know I did."
 "Do you trust me?"
(hesitation) "You've proved Yourself faithful too many times to not trust You."
"So, trust me to take you where I want you to go, but until then remember..."
"Remember what, God?"
"Remember this: I've already put you where I want you. Take the time you have been given, no matter where you're at, to be my hands and feet."
Several months later, after more conversations kinda like that one, I started seriously praying about returning to Guate. for a longer period of time. It was always hard to see the big picture, but little by little over the next year, doors opened in ways that were 'so God!', directing my path down here. Plans are to go home with my family on the first Wed. of March for Joe and Bethany's wedding then come back down by myself on the last Wed. of March, Lord willing.
From my 'mountaintop' viewpoint right now, looking back over the past year, it's easy to see the hand of God, how He orchestrated all the little details. But it's only rarely that we have that kind of view ahead of us. Many times - most times - this journey of life is one step at a time, resting in the knowledge that 'He's got this'. When the questions are there, the tough spots have to be dealt with, it's hard to see what will ever come out of all of it, and when the things we're doing right now don't even make sense or fit into 'the plan' - then is when we take God at His word as "a lamp to our feet and light to our path" (Psalms 119:105). At those times we see His promises revealed in our lives; we see Him as our Shepard (Psalms 23) guiding us where He wants us to walk - each little step and around every turn. Those are the times we grow.                   

We Have Arrived (At Our Final Destination)

Fire crackling in the fireplace. A bowl of fresh fruit on the table. New curtains in the windows. Bedrooms. A house! We are in Chichi. 

And, we've been here for a whole week! I would have updated before now, but very unfortunately, our computer harddrive gave out on us and we've had to get it replaced. Thankfully, it's up and running again, but we've lost all the pictures from this trip that didn't make it online (which means we lost a LOT!), as well as a bunch of music, documents, etc. Such is life! Speaking of life: We said good-bye to the rest of the Tzul family (the name we came up with for the Noriega and Bontrager clan) last Wednesday morning, Jan. 8th.

(Julie had left, the previous day, with Joe and Bethany to do some touristing in other parts of Guate). As we pulled away from Chijoj, then Canilla', one of the boys made a comment that seemed to sum up how most of us felt: "I'm not ready to leave." Nevertheless, we had our last destination to get to and we had to move on. Three hours later found us in Quiche (kee-chay) where we stopped to visit a mechanic with whom we've become good friends over the years. Martin and his wife were as happy to see us as we were to see them; before we left they told us that we always have a place to stop in at their house. 

When we drove into the driveway at Monte Flor, the compound in Chichi, we had to remind ourselves that this beautiful place would be our home for the next two whole months. Up and to the right of the hill, Ron Morin, the founder and director of Manos de Jesus, was waiting for us outside of one of the houses. When Ron had talked with Dad about us being here for two months, he said he'd have a room or two available for us but we might still need to use the bus, as well.

Imagine our surprise when he took us on a tour of the three bedroom house (complete with living room, kitchen, and laundry room) and told us that it was ours for as long as we're here. A real kitchen! And separate bedrooms! After two months of living mostly in the bus, we were overjoyed at this surprise! 

Since then we've taken our time getting settled in (tonight is the first night that all of us can sleep in the house due to the freshly varnished floors that took longer to dry than expected) and have started on several small projects.

Dad and Lewis have been working with several of the guys, putting in the ceiling of Ron's son's house right next door to ours.

I've sewn some curtains for our living room and have started on a big drape for one of the rooms in the dental clinic (located on the premises). 

Joe, Bethany, and Julie got back from their traipsing on Fri., then spent the weekend here; Joe and Bethany flew home on Monday. It was so much fun having them around! The next time we see them will be only a week and a half before their wedding. Wow!

And...I can not conclude this post without showing you a picture of the pizza party we had on Sunday with the other families who work and live here. Pizza...how good can life get?! :)

There's so much more, so many little things, that I wish I could add without having it sound like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, but, not surprisingly, words just aren't adequate. Maybe, somehow, they'll find their way into some of the other stories that will unfold while we're here. Stay tuned! 

Snapshots from Chijoj

So...I actually had internet access twice here in Chijoj, so you get to see these pics before they get outdated. While scrolling thru our cameras I was hit with the realization that we've been having so much fun that we haven't gotten a lot of pictures of the ppl we spend most of our time with! But, what's here is still good :) Early this morning, the two Noriegas who don't live here will be leaving with their families and things will be quieting down around here. Joe and Bethany got here on two days ago and will be staying till we leave for Chichi on Wed.

"home"

a form of baseball is the 'big game' with the lil' kids right now

a visit from Eladia, her boys, and neices  (one of the locals who lived with us for several months in MI when she lived in the states
and is like family to us, tho she isn't a Noriega)

Sunday school

making tamales for Christmas!

I lost track of how many I've eaten :)

we Bontragers can't have Christmas without chocolate covered, peanut butter filled graham crackers! 

Nayo thoroughly enjoying his tamale

people from Chijoj and the surrounding area waiting for gifts and tamales

handing out the gifts

unloading the 350 tamales for the Christmas program 

Billy's birthday is on Christmas day, so we had a pinata stuffed with the leftover Christmas candy  

Diego and Elisa (Quique's kids) had birthdays on the 26th and 28th so we had two more pinatas and cake on the Sat. after Christmas

one Sun. two pickup trucks full of people from the local church went to Ceboyal (an hour's drive and a little over an hour's walking time from Chijoj) for their 'opening the doors' service

that blue building in the distance was our destination 

walking

singing for the watch night service at the local church on New Year's Eve 

we've had visitors on more than one occasion in our tiny 'living room' 

playing 'Go-Fish' with the kids using some cardboard cards that Dad and Ansy made

Julie and Melisa (Blanca's oldest daughter) 

me and Angi (Alva's 5 yr. old - the oldest of 3 girls) 

bonfire time! (I'm not sure which game it is that we're playing here, but we're havin' fun doin' it!) 

singing 'round the fire

Billy's marshmallow (here they're called angelitos - little angels) 

Estefani (Luis' daughter), me, and Melisa on our way to the river with a bunch of the cousins

Angi and Elisa 

Lulu (Blanca's daughter) 

she's such a cutie pie!

Eliseo (or Cheo - Blanca's son and youngest child)

playing 'the box game' with a cup! (one of their new favorite games)

making donuts!

the finished product!!

hiking up the river with Joe and Bethany

almost every evening the 'big kids' come to play basketball. it's the one sport that I've never really liked or been good at but usually the team's are a max. of 5 ppl. and we've had some pretty fun games going here! 

Isaac (Nayo's son) my adopted son (inside joke!) 

part of the crew!
most of these are leaving early Sun. morn. we'll get another one with the rest of 'em before we leave 

'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.         

In Chiquimula, Guatemala

Chiquimula (chee-kee-moo-lah) is the city in which we are spending our first week and a half in Guatemala. As I mentioned in the previous post, we are working with Otto Bonilla, a local pastor, and his family.

When we got here last Thurs., Otto gave Julie and me our biggest assignment right away – teaching English.

The Bonilla’s run a sponsorship program for the school children in their church. One of the things their U.S. contact wanted for the sponsored kids is the opportunity to learn the English language. Erick (the youngest son) is the one normally in charge of teaching; he helped us out on Fri. with both the forenoon and the afternoon classes and on Sat. with the forenoon class, but since then we’ve been on our own! 

Teaching is one of my bigger weaknesses (especially classroom teaching). In this specific area, I have been stretched several times on this trip, each time more than the previous one. I’ve done some Sun. school and VBS classes in the states before and I figured out that I like teaching Bible lessons if the class is small and consists of older kids/ppl, like pre-teens and teenagers. The first stretch came in Belize, when Julie, Lewis, and I were asked to lead morning devotions for the kids at TCA. Julie opted for the little kids so it worked out great that I got the older ones (5-8 gr.), but it was a large group of kids – around 40! Lots and lots of prayers later, with God’s strength, I managed to talk for a whole 12 minutes on how man looks on the outside but God looks at the heart!

When Otto told us that we’ll be in charge of the English classes while we’re here in Chiquimula, I knew that I would be the one in charge cuz of being able to speak Spanish better than Julie. On Sat. Erick was only there part of the time so that we could get used to teaching on our own, then right in the middle of trying to get my mind wrapped around being in charge of teaching 5 more times he asked if I wanna do a short lesson for his Sun. school class the next day. When I told him I would think about it I knew that I should say yes, but I wanted to see if I could convince God otherwise – I mean, my Spanish is far from perfect! So, after coming up with all kinds of excuses – I told both God and Eric that I’d do it if it didn’t have to be anything long.

I was praying that God would miraculously give me the language fluently, which didn’t happen cuz for some reason He enjoys our weaknesses! But a God-thing that did happen right before I started talking to the kids on Sun. was that all my nervousness disappeared as soon as I opened my mouth. I still had to grope for phrasing and word but they said they understood it, despite my very in-need-of-improvement Spanish :/.    

We’re only doing one English class a day, this week, instead of two so that Julie and I can help with other projects in the afternoon, AND it helps not drain my creativity level! The following pictures show some of the projects our family has been able to help with, and some of the stuff we’ve been doing for fun!         

Playing sports with the kids on Sat.

Lewis, Billy, and Dad dug a trench for a drainage system (around here, picks come first, then you shovel out what what's loose). 

hard at work! 

the drainage system 

after a hard day of work they get to cover it up again :D (complete with very sore muscles!)

Sat. eve, Erick and Marleeny, the neighbor girl across the street, took Julie and I to the park to see the lights

eating 'gringas', a kind of taco called by the slang word for American girls (they were delicious ;) 

on Sun, everyone went along to the park
Ansy, Billy, Lewis, Julie, Me 

Otto, Lisbeth, Mom, Dad 

Erick, Billy, Julie, Ansy, Me, Marleeny, Lewis, Jenifer, Otto Jr. 

on Tue, Lewis, DadnMom, and I painted a house for a the widow pictured here with her son and daughter

halfway thru 

the walls are a tile color and the doors a dark brown 

we celebrated Julie's 17th birthday on the 10th

We’re planning on leaving here to go to Chijoj (the village we call ‘home’, where we’ve been involved since ’98) to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with our ‘family’ and friends there; we’ll probably pull out of here the first part of next week.

As always, thank you, all, for your prayers. Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season!  

                                                                     

     

2 Corinthians 12:9 - And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."