Today, we’re boarding a plane at 8:20 AM Guatemala time to head back to the states. We’ll be flying through Dallas and into Louisville. Sophie’s whole family will be waiting at the gate to pick us up and welcome us back home. We can’t wait for our first meal back in the states, sharing all the stories of this summer.
We want to thank you so much for keeping up with our blog! Having this blog helped us share our experiences with our friends and family without you being here. We hope that somewhere in the words we’ve written, you have found a blessing and been touched by God’s working in our lives this summer. Thanks so much for your comments, voice messages, and emails you’ve sent throughout the summer. They always arrived at the perfect time to lift our spirits.
The house isn’t completed, so when we get pictures of the finalized house, we’ll post them here. Be sure to check back around October for the update.
Even though this is our last blog, you can always contact us if you want to know more about or to support the mission here at Agua Viva. You know where to find us!
Love,
Scott and Sophie
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Team 7 Report
This week, we had the opportunity to work alongside a group from Dayton, OH from St. Albert the Great Catholic Church. The team was comprised of 28 members, ranging in age from 14-74. The members of this team aren’t at all what you think of when you think of a stereotypical “catholic.” This was a good lesson to learn. The fun thing about this team is that they bring many different areas of expertise. We had a Dental Hygienist, Hair Stylist, Air Force Officer, Professional Gardeners, Sewers, and an Art Teacher. We reaped the benefits of their expertise, as we both got our teeth cleaned and haircuts. It was neat to see them blossom in their fields of knowledge. The team also made many donations in direct answer to Evy’s prayers. They also brought money to pay for dental work, construction materials, a pizza party for the kids next week, and books for the school library. The team also went out of the ordinary and on Wednesday in Antigua, went to a coffee farm for a tour.
It’s funny how the Lord prepares us for things. We don’t think it was a coincidence that our last team was also the largest. We shudder to think about how we would have been unprepared if this was our first team!
It’s funny how the Lord prepares us for things. We don’t think it was a coincidence that our last team was also the largest. We shudder to think about how we would have been unprepared if this was our first team!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Teams of All Kinds
Scott and I have been both team members and team leaders on many mission trips. Although we’ve held these positions before we learned this summer what it actually takes to be good team member and a good team leader. By being on the receiving end of teams we learned what is appreciated.
We know that one shovel of dirt dug in love is better than an entire house built without love.
We have seen teams of all sizes, and we know what size we would prefer to lead.
We have seen leaders of all types and have learned characteristics of each that will make us better leaders.
We have seen people who don’t appreciate a culture, no matter how hard they try to hide it.
These are gifts from God, to make us better appreciate and work with international missions in our future. Rarely, does one get to experience a mission trip from both perspectives and our trips will forever be changed because of our work here.
This summer we have seen the good and bad, the beautiful and the ugly. Although there have been times when it was tough, there have been easy times to even them out. This summer by seeing every type of team, we’ve learned what makes up a good team. We know that one result of this summer is that we will forever be better team members and leaders. This is just one of the million things the Lord has shown us this summer.
We know that one shovel of dirt dug in love is better than an entire house built without love.
We have seen teams of all sizes, and we know what size we would prefer to lead.
We have seen leaders of all types and have learned characteristics of each that will make us better leaders.
We have seen people who don’t appreciate a culture, no matter how hard they try to hide it.
These are gifts from God, to make us better appreciate and work with international missions in our future. Rarely, does one get to experience a mission trip from both perspectives and our trips will forever be changed because of our work here.
This summer we have seen the good and bad, the beautiful and the ugly. Although there have been times when it was tough, there have been easy times to even them out. This summer by seeing every type of team, we’ve learned what makes up a good team. We know that one result of this summer is that we will forever be better team members and leaders. This is just one of the million things the Lord has shown us this summer.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Closing Down
Yesterday, we started to close the book on our trip to Guatemala this summer. After getting the team started on their projects, we headed back to our house and began packing. This alone is a traumatic experience! It’s amazing to see how much we’ve accumulated in less than 3 short months! We have so many treasured mementos (the best ones were free, like lava rock and crafts we’ve done with the kids) that will help us remember our time here this summer.
It was a beautiful day, so in the afternoon, we headed out and started taking pictures of the grounds and buildings to show people and to help us remember exactly how it looked the summer we lived here. We didn’t know it at first, but as we walked, we realized it was more for us than it was for anyone else. We were saying goodbye to the buildings, mudholes, swingsets, smells of the carpenteria, sounds of the laundry room, and giant cow patties that we’ve come to love over this summer. With each picture we took, we were hugging it goodbye, until the next time we return.
It was interesting that in past trips, we’ve known where these buildings are, but this time it was different. We know the details of each place, the cracks in the walls, the broken windows, and the foot imprints in the cement sidewalk. We fell more in love with everything here by coming to love the details. It was the intimate details we were saying goodbye to, not just the places.
Tomorrow, we’ll take the team to Antigua, and say goodbye to all the sights and smells there.
It was a beautiful day, so in the afternoon, we headed out and started taking pictures of the grounds and buildings to show people and to help us remember exactly how it looked the summer we lived here. We didn’t know it at first, but as we walked, we realized it was more for us than it was for anyone else. We were saying goodbye to the buildings, mudholes, swingsets, smells of the carpenteria, sounds of the laundry room, and giant cow patties that we’ve come to love over this summer. With each picture we took, we were hugging it goodbye, until the next time we return.
It was interesting that in past trips, we’ve known where these buildings are, but this time it was different. We know the details of each place, the cracks in the walls, the broken windows, and the foot imprints in the cement sidewalk. We fell more in love with everything here by coming to love the details. It was the intimate details we were saying goodbye to, not just the places.
Tomorrow, we’ll take the team to Antigua, and say goodbye to all the sights and smells there.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Team 6 Leaves and Team 7 Arrives
Yesterday we headed to the airport to send team 6 back home to Tennessee and to pick up Team 7. Team 6 was lead by Tim Sheehy, one of the board members, from Kirby Woods Baptist Church. This team was great! They had two major projects that were physical labor; Evy’s house and a patio in front of the gym. They did a ton of digging with these projects and probably won’t mind if it is a while before they see another shovel. Their third project was sewing sheets and bed spreads for the kids. The ladies who did this worked very hard!! It really was a labor of love and the kids are going to adore the new Buzz Lightyear sheets.
On their Antigua day this team did street evangelism before lunch and saved their souvenir shopping for the afternoon. It was a real encouragement to see their enthusiasm for sharing God’s love. Team 6 was a blessing and we are going to miss them. We are excited to work with our next team lead by Laura Thimons (25 women and 3 men). Hard to believe that we will be heading home with this team! Wow! The summer has flown!
On their Antigua day this team did street evangelism before lunch and saved their souvenir shopping for the afternoon. It was a real encouragement to see their enthusiasm for sharing God’s love. Team 6 was a blessing and we are going to miss them. We are excited to work with our next team lead by Laura Thimons (25 women and 3 men). Hard to believe that we will be heading home with this team! Wow! The summer has flown!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Add it to the list
Well, we are down to one more week in Guatemala. There have been times when we couldn’t wait for this week to get here and times when we didn’t want it ever to come. But no matter what we want or don’t want, it is here. It is here and it is a wonderful feeling. It is here and it is a horrible feeling. Bittersweet doesn’t even come close to describing the feeling, because it is so much sweeter than sweet and so much more bitter than bitter.
For those of you who like to travel overseas, especially on mission trips, and for those of you who go on mission trips, especially overseas, you know the feeling of never really being 100% content. When you are home, you long to be in the other country. When you are in the other country, you long to be home. As I was thinking about this phenomenon and discussing it with Scott it made me long for Heaven. It gave me another item to add to the list of why Heaven will be so marvelous. It was another mark in the “why I wanna go” tally.
See, in Heaven, this is the only place where this feeling will be satisfied. This is the only place where we can be and not be longing to be elsewhere. This is the only place where we will get to be with the people we love back home who have never been to Guatemala and the people we love in Guatemala who have never been to Indiana.
How funny that the Lord brought us to Guatemala from Indiana to give us another reason to want to leave this world.
For those of you who like to travel overseas, especially on mission trips, and for those of you who go on mission trips, especially overseas, you know the feeling of never really being 100% content. When you are home, you long to be in the other country. When you are in the other country, you long to be home. As I was thinking about this phenomenon and discussing it with Scott it made me long for Heaven. It gave me another item to add to the list of why Heaven will be so marvelous. It was another mark in the “why I wanna go” tally.
See, in Heaven, this is the only place where this feeling will be satisfied. This is the only place where we can be and not be longing to be elsewhere. This is the only place where we will get to be with the people we love back home who have never been to Guatemala and the people we love in Guatemala who have never been to Indiana.
How funny that the Lord brought us to Guatemala from Indiana to give us another reason to want to leave this world.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
What we miss...
Today we miss our dishwasher, but we know that in two weeks we will miss the tub of our Guatemalan dish soap.
Today we miss the smell of our apartment, but we know that in two weeks we will miss the familiar yet still foreign smell of Casa A.
Today we miss good old mac and cheese out of a box, but we know that in two weeks we will miss fried plantains and black beans.
Today we miss the rolling hills of Indiana, but we know that in two weeks we will miss the majestic mountains and volcanoes of Guatemala.
Today we miss all our favorite TV shows, but we know in two weeks we will miss swapping movies with the other Americans here.
Today we miss the comfort and safety of being able to go out after dark, but in two weeks we know we will miss the comforting sound of the guards whistling when they walk by.
Today we miss the faces of friends and family, but we know in two weeks we will miss the smiling faces of Evy, the cooks, the kids, the house parents and everyone here.
Today we miss English, but we know in two weeks we will miss Spanish.
Today we miss carpet, but we know that in two weeks we will miss the familiar tile floors.
Today we miss the USA, but we know that in two weeks we will miss Guatemala.
Today we miss the smell of our apartment, but we know that in two weeks we will miss the familiar yet still foreign smell of Casa A.
Today we miss good old mac and cheese out of a box, but we know that in two weeks we will miss fried plantains and black beans.
Today we miss the rolling hills of Indiana, but we know that in two weeks we will miss the majestic mountains and volcanoes of Guatemala.
Today we miss all our favorite TV shows, but we know in two weeks we will miss swapping movies with the other Americans here.
Today we miss the comfort and safety of being able to go out after dark, but in two weeks we know we will miss the comforting sound of the guards whistling when they walk by.
Today we miss the faces of friends and family, but we know in two weeks we will miss the smiling faces of Evy, the cooks, the kids, the house parents and everyone here.
Today we miss English, but we know in two weeks we will miss Spanish.
Today we miss carpet, but we know that in two weeks we will miss the familiar tile floors.
Today we miss the USA, but we know that in two weeks we will miss Guatemala.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Pictures
We've added some new pictures for you all. There are some more huepil pictures of Evy teaching me how to put it on and then also me wearing my huepil on Sunday. I was pretty happy because on Sunday morning I got my huepil on correctly after only my first try!! It even passed Evy's approval; all she had to do was tighten it up a tad! Also in there are some pictures of us eating pineapples with salt. DELICIOUS!!!
Sorry we didn't get to edit through these pictures and take out the bad ones! I know that is annoying. :(
Sorry we didn't get to edit through these pictures and take out the bad ones! I know that is annoying. :(
Monday, July 21, 2008
More Validation...
Hey everyone,
We've settled into another week and another team. This large team from Memphis, TN hit the ground running and is working on 3 heavy labor projects. They're doing great.
We wanted to share with you what God has done in our lives which just further validates our decision to come to Guatemala for the summer.
We are preparing to head home in less than two weeks, and just out of curiosity, we checked Sophie's financial statement from IU. When we pulled it up, we were shocked to find out that her total tuition and fees for the year is less than $100! We couldn't figure it out, and so we looked more closely, and Sophie had received a number of grants. She received a small O'Bannon grant for being an outstanding Indiana resident college student. Then we saw a small Federal Pell Grant that she got for marrying a poor graduate student! :) Then, the remainder of the tuition and fees was paid for by the IU Pell Promise award: an award given to outstanding students who qualify for the Federal Pell grant. We were shocked! As far as we can tell, she will keep this award as long as she maintains a 3.0 GPA. It pretty much means a full ride scholarship.
This just served as such a reminder that God will provide for us. We can trace it all the way back to our decision to switch out of the PhD program at IU and pursue the Master's. As someone said, it's just the cherry on top of all our blessings. As we see it, God is blessing us above and beyond what we could ever hope or ask for. Not only did I get an AWESOME job with a 20 minute phone interview, but he's taken care of us in ways we never even asked.
If that is the cherry on top, we got sprinkles too! I got an email yesterday, offering me an adjunct position at Ivy Tech that I had applied for in the spring. We are still considering and praying about this position, but regardless, God has shown that no matter what, he will provide. It really shows God's sense of humor in the whole situation.
It's a lesson to all of us that the Lord will never stop heaping his blessings upon you if you allow him to and listen to his calling.
We've settled into another week and another team. This large team from Memphis, TN hit the ground running and is working on 3 heavy labor projects. They're doing great.
We wanted to share with you what God has done in our lives which just further validates our decision to come to Guatemala for the summer.
We are preparing to head home in less than two weeks, and just out of curiosity, we checked Sophie's financial statement from IU. When we pulled it up, we were shocked to find out that her total tuition and fees for the year is less than $100! We couldn't figure it out, and so we looked more closely, and Sophie had received a number of grants. She received a small O'Bannon grant for being an outstanding Indiana resident college student. Then we saw a small Federal Pell Grant that she got for marrying a poor graduate student! :) Then, the remainder of the tuition and fees was paid for by the IU Pell Promise award: an award given to outstanding students who qualify for the Federal Pell grant. We were shocked! As far as we can tell, she will keep this award as long as she maintains a 3.0 GPA. It pretty much means a full ride scholarship.
This just served as such a reminder that God will provide for us. We can trace it all the way back to our decision to switch out of the PhD program at IU and pursue the Master's. As someone said, it's just the cherry on top of all our blessings. As we see it, God is blessing us above and beyond what we could ever hope or ask for. Not only did I get an AWESOME job with a 20 minute phone interview, but he's taken care of us in ways we never even asked.
If that is the cherry on top, we got sprinkles too! I got an email yesterday, offering me an adjunct position at Ivy Tech that I had applied for in the spring. We are still considering and praying about this position, but regardless, God has shown that no matter what, he will provide. It really shows God's sense of humor in the whole situation.
It's a lesson to all of us that the Lord will never stop heaping his blessings upon you if you allow him to and listen to his calling.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Team Pickup
Hey everyone,
It's a cloudy Saturday morning here in Guatemala. The kids are doing their weekend chores and the staff is nowhere to be seen! :) We are finally back in the office to be updating our blog, the internet is now back up and running. We'll miss our Pollo Campero trips though, they offered a welcome rest from the high energy here at the home.
Today we're heading to the city to pick up our team from Kirby Wood's Baptist Church in TN. They are a large group, 28 to be exact, so we're all a bit anxious about their arrival. They are actually 3 TIMES the size of our last team, so it will be an eventful week for sure. But at the same time, we're excited about getting to interact with Americans again. The kids are too...last night they were asking about the next team and when they found out they were coming today, they were so excited.
Be watching Sunday for a picture of Sophie in her traditional huepil at church. She'll be pretty in pink!
Love you all
Scott and Sophie
It's a cloudy Saturday morning here in Guatemala. The kids are doing their weekend chores and the staff is nowhere to be seen! :) We are finally back in the office to be updating our blog, the internet is now back up and running. We'll miss our Pollo Campero trips though, they offered a welcome rest from the high energy here at the home.
Today we're heading to the city to pick up our team from Kirby Wood's Baptist Church in TN. They are a large group, 28 to be exact, so we're all a bit anxious about their arrival. They are actually 3 TIMES the size of our last team, so it will be an eventful week for sure. But at the same time, we're excited about getting to interact with Americans again. The kids are too...last night they were asking about the next team and when they found out they were coming today, they were so excited.
Be watching Sunday for a picture of Sophie in her traditional huepil at church. She'll be pretty in pink!
Love you all
Scott and Sophie
Friday, July 18, 2008
Back from Vacation
Hey everyone,
It's Friday and we're back in Chimaltenango after a relaxing 3 days in Antigua. The hotel we stayed at was AMAZING! You won't believe the pictures we posted are actually our ROOM but they ARE!
We have updated the photo site, there are a bunch of new albums. Make sure you check them out. The vacation pictures are of the hotel, dinner, and racing around Antigua in tuk-tuks. The Huepil folder is when we went and bought the traditional Guatemalan outfit for women here. Sophie got a beautiful pink one. It was such an experience. Then we went for french fries last night in Puerto Rico, the colonia outside the walls of the home. We took candid pics of the people out and about in the streets. The last folder is updates of the house. This should be of particular interest to those of you who have visited us this summer. The house is really taking shape. Two of the walls are almost completely finished and Waldemar is crafting a gorgeous fireplace.
We'll be updating this week. Tomorrow we pick up a team of 28 people, our biggest yet by far!
It's Friday and we're back in Chimaltenango after a relaxing 3 days in Antigua. The hotel we stayed at was AMAZING! You won't believe the pictures we posted are actually our ROOM but they ARE!
We have updated the photo site, there are a bunch of new albums. Make sure you check them out. The vacation pictures are of the hotel, dinner, and racing around Antigua in tuk-tuks. The Huepil folder is when we went and bought the traditional Guatemalan outfit for women here. Sophie got a beautiful pink one. It was such an experience. Then we went for french fries last night in Puerto Rico, the colonia outside the walls of the home. We took candid pics of the people out and about in the streets. The last folder is updates of the house. This should be of particular interest to those of you who have visited us this summer. The house is really taking shape. Two of the walls are almost completely finished and Waldemar is crafting a gorgeous fireplace.
We'll be updating this week. Tomorrow we pick up a team of 28 people, our biggest yet by far!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Relaxation!
Hey all! Since we dropped off our team yesterday, and the next team doesn’t come until Saturday, we’re spending the next few days relaxing in Antigua. Last night, we ate dinner with Jennifer and Joseph (two Americans working at the home) and we stayed at this amazing hotel called Panza Verde (www.panzaverde.com). Jennifer has to teach today, so they went back last night, but we’re meeting them again today and we’re all staying together tonight at our favorite little cheap hotel Posada don Valentino! We got one big room for all four of us for 40 bucks. It really works out great that we have these few days off because the next two teams are our biggest. Each team is pushing 30 people. It will be a handful to accommodate. Please keep us in your prayers as we work with these teams. It’s hard to believe just two more teams to go. Its’ been a whirlwind of a summer.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Team 5 Report
Today we’re dropping off team 5, led by Keath Butt from Jackson, TN. This was our smallest team of the year, with 5 men and 5 women. All of the women had visited the home multiple times, but the 4 young men were totally new. This team was comprised mostly of college kids from Union University and they spent time working on construction, painting Casa Samuel, painting the interior of the transition house, and added an Eeyore mural to the Winnie the Pooh theme in the baby house. On Sunday, they led worship with Eduardo, and their activities throughout the week focused on the life of King David. They would begin with a drama about a story of David, and then had a relevant craft for the kids to make. Many of the students were quite proficient Spanish speakers, so it was great to see them putting their studies to good use! We’ll miss this energetic and hard working team!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Pics are up
Hey all! Today we posted a small album of pictures from a Cultural Program the kids put on to display traditional Guatemalan customs. Enjoy! Also, the first pic is a picture of us with Joseph and Jennifer (two other Americans working at the home)at our internet hotspot (and favorite fastfood restaurant) Pollo Campero. We've been without internet for about two weeks now, so every few days we head into town for great fried chicken and free wireless internet! Every time you read a post, this is where it was conceived!
Blessings!
Scott and Sophie
Blessings!
Scott and Sophie
Sunday, July 13, 2008
What we now know...
Living in Guatemala we have learned some valuable things that we want to share with you…
• Pepto Bismol is best drank straight from the bottle
• How to divide any number by 7.5 (The exchange rate)
• Showers are about being as efficient as possible
• Honking is the best way to stop any car who even thinks about slowing down
• Tap water does not mean potable water. We haven’t drank from a tap since May 17
• 9 AM means 4 PM
• You can buy surgical anesthesia from any drugstore
• Prepaid cell phones are better than contracts
• Corn is best eaten off roasted coals with salt and lime
• There are two types of rain, and the gentle rain makes you sick
• In aforementioned rain, all work must stop
• Babies are bundled tightly regardless of the temperature or season
• You can spot an American tourist from a mile away, no matter how hard they try they NEVER blend in
• You can actually buy movies on DVD BEFORE they hit the US theaters
• Prices marked are merely a suggestion
And we wouldn’t trade this knowledge for anything in the world.
• Pepto Bismol is best drank straight from the bottle
• How to divide any number by 7.5 (The exchange rate)
• Showers are about being as efficient as possible
• Honking is the best way to stop any car who even thinks about slowing down
• Tap water does not mean potable water. We haven’t drank from a tap since May 17
• 9 AM means 4 PM
• You can buy surgical anesthesia from any drugstore
• Prepaid cell phones are better than contracts
• Corn is best eaten off roasted coals with salt and lime
• There are two types of rain, and the gentle rain makes you sick
• In aforementioned rain, all work must stop
• Babies are bundled tightly regardless of the temperature or season
• You can spot an American tourist from a mile away, no matter how hard they try they NEVER blend in
• You can actually buy movies on DVD BEFORE they hit the US theaters
• Prices marked are merely a suggestion
And we wouldn’t trade this knowledge for anything in the world.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Butterflies
One thing that Scott and I have discussed is that living in Guatemala at a children’s home has put our emotions on code red alert. From the moment we stepped off the plane on May 17 our emotions took off on a roller coaster ride. The interesting thing about this emotional ride is that the feelings (tears, laughter, anger, etc.) all present themselves at the most inappropriate times. My latest attack jumped out in the midst of making bookmarks.
Each night the team that is visiting does an activity. The activity on this particular evening was decorating bookmarks. The team had big felt bookmarks with a scripture on them and then the kids got to decorate their bookmarks with felt stickers. There were dinosaurs, flowers, leaves, letters, numbers, shapes, butterflies, and snails in every color and size known to man. Pretty much anything you can think of we had to decorate with. As the team members were passing out piles of stickers to the tables, I headed over with my pink bookmark to one of the girls’ tables. This table had 4 girls all in the age range of 8-10. I sat down next to Luisa and we girls decided to organize our big pile into smaller categories rather than “dig in” like the boys. The girls were all jabbering as they sorted about which ones they liked and what colors were prettiest and which ones would match their bookmark the best. Luisa, found a teeny-tiny butterfly and picked it up. After she looked at it the butterfly began to call out “Mi Mama, Mi Mama” as Luisa guided it to the jumbo sized butterfly we had already found. At first I smiled to myself because that is exactly what 8 year old Sophie would have said, but then IT HIT ME, just like the warm saliva before you throw up….Luisa doesn’t have a mama.
Immediately tears burned my eyes and I felt dizzy. My eyes starting scanning the room for Scott because I knew I was going to pass out right then.
When Luisa arrived at Agua Viva she had been ordered here by the courts. There is no historical information on Luisa. The only information the home has on her is her birthday, which she informed them of, there aren’t any documents to prove the date. The family that Luisa once had lost all their familial rights. The courts have ordered them never to see her. Luisa has never seen them. Luisa has no one. Unlike most of the children at Agua Viva Luisa truly is an orphan.
What is even worse is that Luisa knows she is an orphan. Luisa knows she has no one to call Mommy or Daddy. Luisa knows that not having a mommy or daddy is unusual, not how most kids live, not right, not how God intended it to be. Luisa knows that little baby butterflies go with their bigger mommies to be taken care of.
Ever since my first trip to Agua Viva I’ve known Luisa’s story. I’ve listened as people have explained, I’ve read on her information sheet, I’ve even been there when she has talked about it, but for the very first time, sitting next to her at the craft, I heard her story. It was more than I could bear. I can’t even imagine what that feels like. I can’t imagine what it means to not have a mother. I am still processing it and I still don’t have the words to express how it makes me feel…I don’t think words even exist that are strong enough to express what being motherless means.
As I sat there and finished my bookmark I felt every emotion. I wanted to snuggle closer to her. I wanted to get on a plane home and not look back. I wanted to ask the team if they knew someone who needed a little girl. I wanted to adopt her myself and be her mama. I wanted throw up. I wanted to scream. Mostly though, I wanted to crawl into my mommy’s lap, smell her familiar smell, and cry and cry and cry.
Each night the team that is visiting does an activity. The activity on this particular evening was decorating bookmarks. The team had big felt bookmarks with a scripture on them and then the kids got to decorate their bookmarks with felt stickers. There were dinosaurs, flowers, leaves, letters, numbers, shapes, butterflies, and snails in every color and size known to man. Pretty much anything you can think of we had to decorate with. As the team members were passing out piles of stickers to the tables, I headed over with my pink bookmark to one of the girls’ tables. This table had 4 girls all in the age range of 8-10. I sat down next to Luisa and we girls decided to organize our big pile into smaller categories rather than “dig in” like the boys. The girls were all jabbering as they sorted about which ones they liked and what colors were prettiest and which ones would match their bookmark the best. Luisa, found a teeny-tiny butterfly and picked it up. After she looked at it the butterfly began to call out “Mi Mama, Mi Mama” as Luisa guided it to the jumbo sized butterfly we had already found. At first I smiled to myself because that is exactly what 8 year old Sophie would have said, but then IT HIT ME, just like the warm saliva before you throw up….Luisa doesn’t have a mama.
Immediately tears burned my eyes and I felt dizzy. My eyes starting scanning the room for Scott because I knew I was going to pass out right then.
When Luisa arrived at Agua Viva she had been ordered here by the courts. There is no historical information on Luisa. The only information the home has on her is her birthday, which she informed them of, there aren’t any documents to prove the date. The family that Luisa once had lost all their familial rights. The courts have ordered them never to see her. Luisa has never seen them. Luisa has no one. Unlike most of the children at Agua Viva Luisa truly is an orphan.
What is even worse is that Luisa knows she is an orphan. Luisa knows she has no one to call Mommy or Daddy. Luisa knows that not having a mommy or daddy is unusual, not how most kids live, not right, not how God intended it to be. Luisa knows that little baby butterflies go with their bigger mommies to be taken care of.
Ever since my first trip to Agua Viva I’ve known Luisa’s story. I’ve listened as people have explained, I’ve read on her information sheet, I’ve even been there when she has talked about it, but for the very first time, sitting next to her at the craft, I heard her story. It was more than I could bear. I can’t even imagine what that feels like. I can’t imagine what it means to not have a mother. I am still processing it and I still don’t have the words to express how it makes me feel…I don’t think words even exist that are strong enough to express what being motherless means.
As I sat there and finished my bookmark I felt every emotion. I wanted to snuggle closer to her. I wanted to get on a plane home and not look back. I wanted to ask the team if they knew someone who needed a little girl. I wanted to adopt her myself and be her mama. I wanted throw up. I wanted to scream. Mostly though, I wanted to crawl into my mommy’s lap, smell her familiar smell, and cry and cry and cry.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
"Para Servirle"
One of our favorite sayings here in Guatemala is often heard at a restaurant or a checkout line. After thanking someone for their help or service, they respond with “Para Servirle” which literally means, “in order to serve you.” Every time we hear it, we talk about how much we love the idea of telling someone “I’m here to serve you.” Today, we saw “Para Servirle” put into action in a wonderful way. One of the benefits of having a team here is that the cooks leave a hot coffee pot out all day long. Today was a little chilly, and the thought of a nice hot cup of coffee was too much to resist, so we headed over to the comedor. On the walk over, we passed don Victor (our resident driver, handyman, and all around good guy) busy working on repairing broken window panes. Upon arriving though, we found the pot was not there! We walked away a little disappointed, but accepted our fate. Through the window he was working on, don Victor witnessed our finding, or lack thereof, and we all shared a little chuckle about it.
We carried on to find Evy to talk about other matters, and upon returning, we passed don Victor carrying out a fresh pot of the coffee and placing it on the table. Had we not seen him, we never would have known that he had gone out of his way to serve us. We were taken aback that through the world’s eyes, this made no sense. He was busy with his own jobs, we are younger than him, Sophie is a woman, and the cooks are responsible for this task. However, through the eyes of the Christian and here in Guatemala, don Victor recognized this as an opportunity to “para servirle.”
We carried on to find Evy to talk about other matters, and upon returning, we passed don Victor carrying out a fresh pot of the coffee and placing it on the table. Had we not seen him, we never would have known that he had gone out of his way to serve us. We were taken aback that through the world’s eyes, this made no sense. He was busy with his own jobs, we are younger than him, Sophie is a woman, and the cooks are responsible for this task. However, through the eyes of the Christian and here in Guatemala, don Victor recognized this as an opportunity to “para servirle.”
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Photos are Up
Hey guys,
We're having some trouble with a few blogs we wrote, so we want you to know we are posting some pics. We'll try to get the blogs up, but can't promise anything...for now, check out our latest pics of a field day the kids got yesterday!
love
scott and sophie
We're having some trouble with a few blogs we wrote, so we want you to know we are posting some pics. We'll try to get the blogs up, but can't promise anything...for now, check out our latest pics of a field day the kids got yesterday!
love
scott and sophie
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Visitation Sunday
The first Sunday of every month is visitation Sunday. It’s the one day a month that the families of the children here at Agua Viva can come to visit the children. There is a special church service, and then the families have the afternoon to eat and share together. This Sunday, Eduardo prepared a very important message to both the parents and the children that were there. He preached about the 5 Love Languages, a book by Dr. Gary Chapman. Eduardo, wise for his age, told the parents and children that when he was growing up here in Agua Viva, that he did not use the visitation Sundays as he should have. He stressed to the parents that this is the one day each month that they have to show their children that they love them. He challenged the children the same way, saying they need to show their parents they love them, and appreciate the sacrifices they have made to come visit them. He gave them concrete examples of how to show love using the 5 love languages. We loved that Eduardo used his own life as an example, and shared personal stories about growing up in Agua Viva. We also loved that he knew his audience to be parents who could not raise their children or necessarily know how to show them their love. For this, the examples he gave were wonderful. It reflected Agua Viva’s mission which is to provide for the children in the hope that someday they can be reunited with their families. Lastly, Eduardo showed examples in scripture where God shows his love for us using the 5 love languages.
Visitation Sunday is always a little difficult for us to see. It is tough on the kids who do not have anyone come to visit them, and also hard on those who do have family to visit. Some are dealing with very serious emotional issues, and it is painful to see them working through those feelings. After a visitation Sunday, it’s always a few days before things seem to settle back into normalcy. It is just one of those things that everyone here has to deal with as a part of being here at Agua Viva and there’s no good way to explain or process it.
Visitation Sunday is always a little difficult for us to see. It is tough on the kids who do not have anyone come to visit them, and also hard on those who do have family to visit. Some are dealing with very serious emotional issues, and it is painful to see them working through those feelings. After a visitation Sunday, it’s always a few days before things seem to settle back into normalcy. It is just one of those things that everyone here has to deal with as a part of being here at Agua Viva and there’s no good way to explain or process it.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Team Report
On Saturday, we sent home the team from Central Church in Collerville, TN led by Todd and Amy Andrews. The team was composed of 17 hard working people. If we had to pick one word to describe this team it would be “sweet.” Their hearts were evident in all that they did. The team was young and old, experienced and new. Instead of the traditional trip to Antigua on Wednesday, they opted to take a trip to Lake Atitlan in Panajachel. The weather was wonderful and we had a great time with them on the boat ride. Here at the home they continued work on Evy’s house, painted Winnie the Pooh and Dora murals in the baby house, and some of the women devoted their entire week to a complete overhaul of the Bodega (Storage room). Their nightly activities were a mix of games, slideshows, and testimonies from the team. Everything went so easily and smoothly all week that we were bound to have a problem! On the way to their hotel on Saturday, the bus broke down and required a 2 hour repair on the side of the Pan American Highway! Luckily, they were not flying out until Sunday, so we didn’t have to get them to a plane! If they had been, we don’t know what we would have done. We however had a team coming in so we left Joseph behind with the team while we flagged down a taxi and raced to the airport to catch the team when they landed. We had a great time with this team and hope they come back again next year! They left us with many invitations to stop by and visit whenever we are in the Memphis area.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
In the Kitchen
On Thursday, we were organizing the small store we have here and there is a chocolate drink that we sell. It comes in small discs that you cook in the water, but we wanted to get directions from the cooks on how to actually make it. With chocolate in hand, we headed to the kitchen to ask the cooks the measurements. Marta, a woman who has worked with Agua Viva for 12 years, got out the utensils and started whipping up the drink. We only expected them to tell us the amounts, but they were more than pleased to actually make a pitcher of it. We headed out with the pitcher and began serving cups to all the home employees. Not one declined the offer. After we served it to Evy, she told us to make another batch and serve it to the team. We headed back to the kitchen to make another batch. We didn't know that after this trip, we would leave with something much sweeter than a pitcher of chocolate.
While the second batch was brewing, Marta (who kicked Sophie's dad out of the kitchen from an earlier blog!) stopped her cooking and sat down with us. We began to talk about her experiences, cooking, children, and life. It was such a moment to treasure. It was one of those moments that we would not have been possible if we weren't living here. A sweet moment of encouragement, with a sister in Christ, that we would have missed if we hadn't obeyed the Lord's call to come to Guatemala. We walked out of that kitchen with a full pitcher and full hearts.
While the second batch was brewing, Marta (who kicked Sophie's dad out of the kitchen from an earlier blog!) stopped her cooking and sat down with us. We began to talk about her experiences, cooking, children, and life. It was such a moment to treasure. It was one of those moments that we would not have been possible if we weren't living here. A sweet moment of encouragement, with a sister in Christ, that we would have missed if we hadn't obeyed the Lord's call to come to Guatemala. We walked out of that kitchen with a full pitcher and full hearts.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Saturday Report
Hey everyone. Hope you have enjoyed the recent blogs!
Today we'll be taking the team that's been here all week to their hotel. They are leaving tomorrow actually, but they cannot overlap with the new team coming in. We'll then pick up that team and bring them back to the home. Sad news is that we'll miss lunch and it is going to be a treat. We are supposed to have slaughtered one of the pigs and be having Chicharonnes (pork rinds) and all the trimmings. Not that we love that, but we're always up to trying new food here.
Then tonight will be the welcome service for the team and the kids will watch their movies.
We'll keep you updated!
Today we'll be taking the team that's been here all week to their hotel. They are leaving tomorrow actually, but they cannot overlap with the new team coming in. We'll then pick up that team and bring them back to the home. Sad news is that we'll miss lunch and it is going to be a treat. We are supposed to have slaughtered one of the pigs and be having Chicharonnes (pork rinds) and all the trimmings. Not that we love that, but we're always up to trying new food here.
Then tonight will be the welcome service for the team and the kids will watch their movies.
We'll keep you updated!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
Hey everyone...
We're thinking of you all there in the states enjoying your 4th of July BBQ's and fireworks! Hard to believe we'll be home in less than a month.
Today, we're celebrating our own Independence Day Baby (SOPHIE!). No big plans today. Sophie is anxious to open the presents from Meme and her Mom that she's been staring at all summer! Funny, we thought it would be forever before we got to do that when they frist brought them to her, but the time has flown by! Tonight is the farewell service for the team. We just realized that we have only 3 teams left before coming home...a bittersweet realization.
We love you all!
Scott and Sophie
We're thinking of you all there in the states enjoying your 4th of July BBQ's and fireworks! Hard to believe we'll be home in less than a month.
Today, we're celebrating our own Independence Day Baby (SOPHIE!). No big plans today. Sophie is anxious to open the presents from Meme and her Mom that she's been staring at all summer! Funny, we thought it would be forever before we got to do that when they frist brought them to her, but the time has flown by! Tonight is the farewell service for the team. We just realized that we have only 3 teams left before coming home...a bittersweet realization.
We love you all!
Scott and Sophie
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Reality Check!
Tuesday morning, after breakfast, we got a call on our cell phone from Evy (the director of the home) asking us if we would be willing to go over to the baby house to watch the kids while she had a meeting with the house parents. Of course, we said it wasn’t a problem. With a cup of coffee in hand, we headed over to quietly play with the children.
During our time with the kids, there were a few incidents…
• Edras came walking up with Sophie’s once full coffee cup, that had been hidden from children’s sight, asking for more coffee.
• Since he couldn’t have coffee to drink, he and his friends starting filling toys with water to drink.
• With a full bladder, Alex felt the need to relieve himself in his pants.
• Offering their assistance, the children followed Sophie to the bathroom to help change Alex’s pants.
• Being in the bathroom prompted Edras to have a “big job” attack in which Sophie had to help wipe. Luckily, Saida was there to flush every five seconds!
Finally, the bathroom incidents were over, so we headed to play…or so we thought…
• Lily, crawling out from under the bed, knocked her head on the metal corner and began wailing.
• Picking Lily up to comfort her, Sophie received a spray of snot as Lily sneezed on her shirt.
• Scott, caring for the boys, reached to tickle Alex, and he fell backwards off his trike, hitting his head on the floor, resulting in another wailing baby.
• Saida, decided this would be a perfect time to throw a fit when Scott reprimanded her for being too wild.
By the time the house mothers arrived, everyone was smiling and in a good mood. Little did they know we left them with Lily working on a dirty diaper. The amazing part is that we only had 4 kids for two hours, the other 13 were in school. These house moms have huge crowns awaiting them in heaven!
During our time with the kids, there were a few incidents…
• Edras came walking up with Sophie’s once full coffee cup, that had been hidden from children’s sight, asking for more coffee.
• Since he couldn’t have coffee to drink, he and his friends starting filling toys with water to drink.
• With a full bladder, Alex felt the need to relieve himself in his pants.
• Offering their assistance, the children followed Sophie to the bathroom to help change Alex’s pants.
• Being in the bathroom prompted Edras to have a “big job” attack in which Sophie had to help wipe. Luckily, Saida was there to flush every five seconds!
Finally, the bathroom incidents were over, so we headed to play…or so we thought…
• Lily, crawling out from under the bed, knocked her head on the metal corner and began wailing.
• Picking Lily up to comfort her, Sophie received a spray of snot as Lily sneezed on her shirt.
• Scott, caring for the boys, reached to tickle Alex, and he fell backwards off his trike, hitting his head on the floor, resulting in another wailing baby.
• Saida, decided this would be a perfect time to throw a fit when Scott reprimanded her for being too wild.
By the time the house mothers arrived, everyone was smiling and in a good mood. Little did they know we left them with Lily working on a dirty diaper. The amazing part is that we only had 4 kids for two hours, the other 13 were in school. These house moms have huge crowns awaiting them in heaven!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
PICTURES ARE HERE
Hey all, just a quick note that we’ve posted 5 folders of pictures. These date all the way back to our first team, so there are quite a few. We also have a whole folder of our trip to the rainforest for our anniversary.
A reminder, you can access our photo site from the home page www.scottandsophie.com
We hope you’ve been enjoying the daily blogs. We’ve been posting them in advance and having them publish every morning. We can’t promise this to continue everyday, but we’ll do our best!
Love you all!
Scott and Sophie
A reminder, you can access our photo site from the home page www.scottandsophie.com
We hope you’ve been enjoying the daily blogs. We’ve been posting them in advance and having them publish every morning. We can’t promise this to continue everyday, but we’ll do our best!
Love you all!
Scott and Sophie
The Language of Heaven
It is often joked about here in Agua Viva that Spanish prayers don’t need translated because Spanish is the language of heaven. As much as we joke about this, it led us to some beautiful thoughts.
Sitting in church with John Salisbury’s group, Eduardo was leading us in a sermon in Spanish, Claire Salisbury was translating into English, and a mother from the team was translating into Sign Language for her two deaf sons (one who is adopted from Agua Viva). It dawned on us at this moment, that the Lord was hearing all three equally, and the offering was a sweet aroma to him.
It made us feel such a longing to be in our Father’s presence, worshiping Him in heaven, side by side with believers of all tongues, all praising the same Lord, who hears all.
As we heard and saw the mixture of words and motions, we thought of all the believers across the globe who that day were offering praises to the Lord in their own languages…and that is the language of heaven.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Team 3 Report
Although we only got to spend about three full days with them, we were sad to see the Salisbury team from North Carolina go. This team was led by John and Debbie Salisbury. John sits on the board and is one of our many bosses. They are a wonderful couple though and it was good to get to talk with them and report in on our summer so far.
This team did work on Evy’s house, which now has the beginnings of walls, painted, and did some more mural work in Casa David. Pumba from the Lion King now looks down on the Casa David boys! Needless to say they love it!
This week was a week off for the kids at school so this team took the kids to a water park one afternoon. We were gone, but from the pictures we saw and stories we heard it was a great time! The team also had a day of games for the kids. The kids were doing ropes courses, playing with shaving cream, jumping in pools of oatmeal, tossing water balloons, and much more!! They had a blast!!
Dropping this team off was sad for us because also going home with them were three girls who had been here since beginning of June working in the school. Two of the girls were John’s daughters and another was a friend of theirs. Scott and I developed great friendships with Claire, Elvia and Emory so it was tough to say goodbye. We are sure going to miss seeing them around.
This team did work on Evy’s house, which now has the beginnings of walls, painted, and did some more mural work in Casa David. Pumba from the Lion King now looks down on the Casa David boys! Needless to say they love it!
This week was a week off for the kids at school so this team took the kids to a water park one afternoon. We were gone, but from the pictures we saw and stories we heard it was a great time! The team also had a day of games for the kids. The kids were doing ropes courses, playing with shaving cream, jumping in pools of oatmeal, tossing water balloons, and much more!! They had a blast!!
Dropping this team off was sad for us because also going home with them were three girls who had been here since beginning of June working in the school. Two of the girls were John’s daughters and another was a friend of theirs. Scott and I developed great friendships with Claire, Elvia and Emory so it was tough to say goodbye. We are sure going to miss seeing them around.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Where are the Pictures???
So I know you are all probably wondering where the pictures are that we were supposedly going to post!! Please don’t be frustrated…we’re working on Guatemala time here in Guatemala conditions.
When Scott’s computer died he had pictures on there of The Rolls (Sophie’s family) at Agua Viva and some pictures of the kids eating ice-cream and playing water games. Those we won’t be able to get to until we are home and even then they might have been lost so you probably won’t be seeing those. Sorry!
We do have pictures of our volcano trip, Tikal trip, all the teams, Evy’s house progress, and snapshots of the kids to share. We can’t do anything with pictures here at Agua Viva because we use up too many of the week’s megabytes. We tried in Antigua but the computer that we had wasn’t able to do it. We’ve battled lightening our computers and our internet connections (even wireless) here at the home.
So when we make a trip into town with free time we will upload tons of pictures to share. Its not a matter of if, just when.
Hopefully it won’t be much longer… for now just imagine pictures in your head! :)
When Scott’s computer died he had pictures on there of The Rolls (Sophie’s family) at Agua Viva and some pictures of the kids eating ice-cream and playing water games. Those we won’t be able to get to until we are home and even then they might have been lost so you probably won’t be seeing those. Sorry!
We do have pictures of our volcano trip, Tikal trip, all the teams, Evy’s house progress, and snapshots of the kids to share. We can’t do anything with pictures here at Agua Viva because we use up too many of the week’s megabytes. We tried in Antigua but the computer that we had wasn’t able to do it. We’ve battled lightening our computers and our internet connections (even wireless) here at the home.
So when we make a trip into town with free time we will upload tons of pictures to share. Its not a matter of if, just when.
Hopefully it won’t be much longer… for now just imagine pictures in your head! :)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Annviersary In Tikal!!!
Hi everyone! We made it back from our Tikal trip safely and are now back working at the home. We both said that we never would have believed that we would be standing on the Mayan ruins on our two year anniversary! It was such a neat experience.
Our first night we spent in Antigua (the colonial city near us where we take the teams). We spent a wonderful evening dining at a restaurant we’d never been to before called Las Palmas. It was so beautiful (flowers, fountains, etc.) and the food was delicious!
We left bright and early the next morning, 4:00 am to be exact, to hop on our shuttle to Guatemala City where we would catch our plane to Flores (an island near Tikal). When we got to the city we didn’t leave from the main airport, we instead left from a smaller airport near by on a 30 passenger propeller plane! It was so cool! After about 45 minutes in the air we touched down in Flores. We landed in the same airport that the cast of Survivor Guatemala landed in, which as you can imagine we loved!
There our guide met us and we drove about an hour to Peten, where Tikal is located. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful this was. We have pictures to post, but they won’t even do it justice. The ruins are located right smack in the middle of jungle. As you drive through the rainforest to get to the park you pass “jaguar crossing signs” and the guide is telling us about the snakes, monkeys, birds, and other creatures that we might run in to. We got to see lots of animals while we were there. We saw both howler and spider monkeys up close (a spider monkey actually about jumped on Scott’s head), tons of cool looking bugs, a special kind of animal to this area (it is like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater, if you can imagine), pretty much everything but the jaguars!
Also in the greenery we saw two very interesting trees. One was a tree that was used to make paper by shaving thin sheets of the bark. The second tree was the tallest in the entire area that to the Maya represented the underworld, the world and the superworld (heavens). It was truly breathtaking. You could see perfectly the representation that the Maya saw. This tree also instead of producing leaves, produced cotton which was used for clothing by the Maya. Again, we have pics of these to post later.
Then there were the ruins…
The ruins were SPECTATCULAR. We saw and climbed temples; we saw the living quarters of the wealthy; we saw the main plaza, which included an underground mask; we saw the arenas where they would play their famous ball game; we saw stages where they performed; we saw burial sites….all it absolutely amazing! We both climbed the tallest temple, temple 4, which was where one of the Star Wars scenes was filmed. The view really and truly took your breath away. We also climbed a temple in the main plaza. Scott then got really brave and climbed temple 5, which happens to have a teeny tiny foot space at the top, (he learned this upon arrival at the top). Keep in mind no safety railings, or signs warning against falls…just wooden steps and my prayers from the bottom!
Everything about the ruins was so interesting. It was amazing to see how everything lined up certain ways with the rising and setting of the sun. Their monuments and altars were well thought out with beautiful decorations that held tons of historical information. Standing in the grand plaza you could instantly travel back in time and just see them going about their daily life. It was all spectacular. We would walk from area to area in total awe. We cannot wait to someday go back with Levi and admire alongside him the remarkable work of his ancient ancestors.
After seeing all of the amazing sites we learned that only 20% of the ruins are uncovered! We were blown away! Plans are not to uncover all of them because the maintenance would be too hard and it would be such a tragedy to uncover them and then dishonor the Maya’s hard work by letting them get destroyed.
At the end of our tour we ate a restaurant right in the rainforest and then headed back to the Island of Flores to our hotel. Our hotel was nice and we spent the next day just relaxing at the pool. Thursday afternoon we headed back to Antigua where we met up with the team again and came back to Agua Viva.
We were so thankful for the break and chance to celebrate our anniversary. It was such a blessing. However, one of the best things about going to Tikal was coming back to Agua Viva. The second we stepped out of the van little voices whispering “Scott y Sophia” started popping up and the kids came running up to us saying that they had missed us and asking when they could look at pictures. Each child that greeted us had their arms wide open and didn’t reject our kisses in return. It was a warm, warm welcome and it reminded us why our Father has us here.
Our first night we spent in Antigua (the colonial city near us where we take the teams). We spent a wonderful evening dining at a restaurant we’d never been to before called Las Palmas. It was so beautiful (flowers, fountains, etc.) and the food was delicious!
We left bright and early the next morning, 4:00 am to be exact, to hop on our shuttle to Guatemala City where we would catch our plane to Flores (an island near Tikal). When we got to the city we didn’t leave from the main airport, we instead left from a smaller airport near by on a 30 passenger propeller plane! It was so cool! After about 45 minutes in the air we touched down in Flores. We landed in the same airport that the cast of Survivor Guatemala landed in, which as you can imagine we loved!
There our guide met us and we drove about an hour to Peten, where Tikal is located. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful this was. We have pictures to post, but they won’t even do it justice. The ruins are located right smack in the middle of jungle. As you drive through the rainforest to get to the park you pass “jaguar crossing signs” and the guide is telling us about the snakes, monkeys, birds, and other creatures that we might run in to. We got to see lots of animals while we were there. We saw both howler and spider monkeys up close (a spider monkey actually about jumped on Scott’s head), tons of cool looking bugs, a special kind of animal to this area (it is like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater, if you can imagine), pretty much everything but the jaguars!
Also in the greenery we saw two very interesting trees. One was a tree that was used to make paper by shaving thin sheets of the bark. The second tree was the tallest in the entire area that to the Maya represented the underworld, the world and the superworld (heavens). It was truly breathtaking. You could see perfectly the representation that the Maya saw. This tree also instead of producing leaves, produced cotton which was used for clothing by the Maya. Again, we have pics of these to post later.
Then there were the ruins…
The ruins were SPECTATCULAR. We saw and climbed temples; we saw the living quarters of the wealthy; we saw the main plaza, which included an underground mask; we saw the arenas where they would play their famous ball game; we saw stages where they performed; we saw burial sites….all it absolutely amazing! We both climbed the tallest temple, temple 4, which was where one of the Star Wars scenes was filmed. The view really and truly took your breath away. We also climbed a temple in the main plaza. Scott then got really brave and climbed temple 5, which happens to have a teeny tiny foot space at the top, (he learned this upon arrival at the top). Keep in mind no safety railings, or signs warning against falls…just wooden steps and my prayers from the bottom!
Everything about the ruins was so interesting. It was amazing to see how everything lined up certain ways with the rising and setting of the sun. Their monuments and altars were well thought out with beautiful decorations that held tons of historical information. Standing in the grand plaza you could instantly travel back in time and just see them going about their daily life. It was all spectacular. We would walk from area to area in total awe. We cannot wait to someday go back with Levi and admire alongside him the remarkable work of his ancient ancestors.
After seeing all of the amazing sites we learned that only 20% of the ruins are uncovered! We were blown away! Plans are not to uncover all of them because the maintenance would be too hard and it would be such a tragedy to uncover them and then dishonor the Maya’s hard work by letting them get destroyed.
At the end of our tour we ate a restaurant right in the rainforest and then headed back to the Island of Flores to our hotel. Our hotel was nice and we spent the next day just relaxing at the pool. Thursday afternoon we headed back to Antigua where we met up with the team again and came back to Agua Viva.
We were so thankful for the break and chance to celebrate our anniversary. It was such a blessing. However, one of the best things about going to Tikal was coming back to Agua Viva. The second we stepped out of the van little voices whispering “Scott y Sophia” started popping up and the kids came running up to us saying that they had missed us and asking when they could look at pictures. Each child that greeted us had their arms wide open and didn’t reject our kisses in return. It was a warm, warm welcome and it reminded us why our Father has us here.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
We're heading to Tikal!!
Our third group of the summer, which is here now, is the group of John Salisbury. John is one of board members and he and his wife actually served as the American hosts for three years. Because he is very experienced and technically one of our bosses, our being here to help his group isn’t really necessary. Because of this John has allowed Scott and I to take a vacation while his team is here, so we will be spending our 2 year anniversary on the Maya Ruins in
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Southwood's Team (aka Super Team)
Yesterday we dropped off at the airport our team from Southwood's Christian Church in Kansas. This is Scott's Aunt Laurie's church. The team was a mix of young and old, seasoned and rookie travelers, but they all had in common the desire to work very hard. They had such a desire to work hard that they earned themselves the nickname of "Super Team" by Scott and me. They were fast workers and good workers. Everything that they did they got done in a flash, but it looked like they spent years on it. In their 6 days here, they finished painting the interiors of Casa David and Josue (including five murals), painted the exterior of the office building, repaired the road leading back to the laundry area, made great strides on the new house, plugged the holes in the gymnasium that the birds had been using, and helped Eduardo prepare games and movies for distribution to the houses. They also prepared meaningful and fun activites for the children every night. We were also pleased to accept their many new applications for sponsorship of children in the home.
This group also was adventurous enough to scale the Pacaya Volcano! This time Sophie took a horse, hiking it once was plenty for her. :)
It was a trip to remember for all of them, and they were very sad to have to leave. We were also very sad to see them go. They left this note to the home and it's supporters:
As we prepare to leave Agua Viva, we are filled with many emotions. There is great satisfaction seeing the work that God, through His grace, enabled us to complete in order to be a blessing to the children and staff.
But, even more, our team is filled with a great love for the children and staff. We have formed lifelong relationships and our hearts ache to leave these wonderful and amazing children.
We are so thankful for the opportunity to come to Agua Viva, and will not only treasure the memories we have made here, but also look forward to making new memories in the future. May God bless you all and keep you close until we see you again.
Sandra Priest,
Southwoods Christian Church.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Lots of News!
Hey everyone. We’re doing fine in Guatemala, but there have been some events here! We’ll start with the bad one first!
Yesterday afternoon, as is typical, a big rainstorm came in over the home. During the storm there was a lot of thunder and lightning, and sure enough, we had a big lightning strike come down really close to our house. As this happened, our computer went blank and is fried as best as I can tell :( When living in a developing country, you realize how much you take for granted things like surge protectors! We’re in the process of getting Sophie’s computer brought to us by another team that is coming next week. In the meantime, our blogs and pictures might be a little delayed! We’re hoping the hard drive is not fried, because we have documents and pictures we don’t want to lose on there! The great thing is that Scott will be getting a computer in the fall…which brings us to the GOOD NEWS: Scott accepted a job as a teacher at Columbus Signature Academy in Columbus, Indiana! Praise GOD! It is a brand new school, officially termed a “magnet school.” The first year, we will only have 9th grade, followed by the next year with 9th and 10th, until it is a normal 9-12 grade high school. Each class will consist of only 100 students, so when it runs at capacity, there will be 400 students total. Scott will get to be part of starting this brand new school from the ground level. The most exciting thing is that it is not a traditional high school. It follows something called the New Tech , which you can research online if you are interested, and utilizes project based learning rather than traditional lecture/notetaking utilized around the world. It is exciting to be part of a brand new type of school. I’m sure you’re thinking “Who is Columbus Signature Academy? Last we heard, they weren’t even in the picture!” So much has happened, we’ve been talking with 4 different schools and the Lord has been working at every turn. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to update every detail, but we’re so happy God has opened and closed the doors that he has, and we feel this is where God wants us. To update you on Mooresville, God closed this door. I got an email from Megan (who is staying in our apartment), that I got a letter, saying they had offered the job to someone else. In the same inbox, I had two emails from other schools (one being CSA) that both expressed interest in an interview. Specifically, CSA’s principal said that he kept putting down my resume, but coming back to it over and over. If that isn’t the work of the Lord, we don’t know what is. It’s been so neat for us to watch God disciplining us and teaching us reliance upon him, while we’ve been out of the country, unable to “mess up” his workings!
The last bit of news was that last night, at 9pm Guatemala time, we had a 4.0 earthquake! Nothing scary, but a first for us since we slept through the Indiana Earthquake! We were mostly surprised that it was more of a rolling feeling than a shaking feeling. We both sat up in bed and were looking at eachother as the bed started rocking across the floor! In all, it lasted about 10-15 seconds, but it was definitely a moment to remember!
Love you all!
Yesterday afternoon, as is typical, a big rainstorm came in over the home. During the storm there was a lot of thunder and lightning, and sure enough, we had a big lightning strike come down really close to our house. As this happened, our computer went blank and is fried as best as I can tell :( When living in a developing country, you realize how much you take for granted things like surge protectors! We’re in the process of getting Sophie’s computer brought to us by another team that is coming next week. In the meantime, our blogs and pictures might be a little delayed! We’re hoping the hard drive is not fried, because we have documents and pictures we don’t want to lose on there! The great thing is that Scott will be getting a computer in the fall…which brings us to the GOOD NEWS: Scott accepted a job as a teacher at Columbus Signature Academy in Columbus, Indiana! Praise GOD! It is a brand new school, officially termed a “magnet school.” The first year, we will only have 9th grade, followed by the next year with 9th and 10th, until it is a normal 9-12 grade high school. Each class will consist of only 100 students, so when it runs at capacity, there will be 400 students total. Scott will get to be part of starting this brand new school from the ground level. The most exciting thing is that it is not a traditional high school. It follows something called the New Tech , which you can research online if you are interested, and utilizes project based learning rather than traditional lecture/notetaking utilized around the world. It is exciting to be part of a brand new type of school. I’m sure you’re thinking “Who is Columbus Signature Academy? Last we heard, they weren’t even in the picture!” So much has happened, we’ve been talking with 4 different schools and the Lord has been working at every turn. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to update every detail, but we’re so happy God has opened and closed the doors that he has, and we feel this is where God wants us. To update you on Mooresville, God closed this door. I got an email from Megan (who is staying in our apartment), that I got a letter, saying they had offered the job to someone else. In the same inbox, I had two emails from other schools (one being CSA) that both expressed interest in an interview. Specifically, CSA’s principal said that he kept putting down my resume, but coming back to it over and over. If that isn’t the work of the Lord, we don’t know what is. It’s been so neat for us to watch God disciplining us and teaching us reliance upon him, while we’ve been out of the country, unable to “mess up” his workings!
The last bit of news was that last night, at 9pm Guatemala time, we had a 4.0 earthquake! Nothing scary, but a first for us since we slept through the Indiana Earthquake! We were mostly surprised that it was more of a rolling feeling than a shaking feeling. We both sat up in bed and were looking at eachother as the bed started rocking across the floor! In all, it lasted about 10-15 seconds, but it was definitely a moment to remember!
Love you all!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Our First Team
Our first team for the summer arrived on Thursday, June 5th and is here until the 14th. The team is made up of 19 folks from Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is so cool for us to see the array of personalities and know that God has each individual here for a reason! Their main jobs have been taking apart, moving, and reassembling playground equipment; starting construction on Evy’s new home; and painting, painting, painting! We’ve had a great first time experience as hosts with this team. We have certainly learned a lot. It has been neat for us to be on the “other end” of a mission team. Although we’ve lead a trip before and been team members many times, we’ve learned more about these roles by observing them and hosting them.
Tomorrow plans are to hike an active volcano (something we would never maybe choose to do on our own, but that is a tradition for the team) and visit Antigua (something that we will do with every team). Hopefully we can post some pictures in Antigua for you all!
For now we are off to dinner. The team purchased pizza for the entire home! It is going to be a surprise treat for the kiddos and an unexpected blessing in the form of a night off for the cooks!
Please pray for us that we can continue to minister to the Colorado team and also that the Lord prepare us for our next team arriving on the 14th after this team leaves.
Tomorrow plans are to hike an active volcano (something we would never maybe choose to do on our own, but that is a tradition for the team) and visit Antigua (something that we will do with every team). Hopefully we can post some pictures in Antigua for you all!
For now we are off to dinner. The team purchased pizza for the entire home! It is going to be a surprise treat for the kiddos and an unexpected blessing in the form of a night off for the cooks!
Please pray for us that we can continue to minister to the Colorado team and also that the Lord prepare us for our next team arriving on the 14th after this team leaves.
Monday, June 9, 2008
What’s for dinner?...BUGS!!!!!
Yes, Scott and I had an unusual side dish with one of our recent suppers….fried bugs! As we were going through the supper line one of the cooks called us into the kitchen saying that she had something special for us. Scott and I headed back and with a big smile on her face she showed us a frying pan full of very large winged ants called “sonpopos.” Explaining that Miss Evy had purchased them especially for us and that they were actually quite delicious she began dipping spoonfuls of the critters into tortillas.
We headed to our lunch table each carrying our tasty treats. After Scott ran to get the camera we took our first bites (with a million little eyes glued to us to see what our reaction would be). Believe it or not they were actually good! The crunchy little things are hard to explain, the best I can do is say that it was kind of like burnt bacon.
We have more pictures to show of the bugs before and after they were cooked (these things are HUGE) and pictures of us eating them, but we’ll have to wait until a trip into town to post them. They are coming though!
We love you all and can’t wait to have you over for dinner! ;)
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Family Vacation Report!
Hey everyone!
Sorry it’s been awhile since an update! As you already know, we have been traveling with Sophie’s parents since May 24th. We wanted to give you an update on what we did and give you some pictures.
On the 24th, we got a ride to Guatemala City and waited for the family to arrive. Jeff, Krisanne, Tully, Abe, and Levi all got there fine and had a wonderful flight. The two youngest girls stayed home with Meme. We spent 3 nights in Guatemala City. What made it so neat was that it was the same hotel that Jeff and Krisanne stayed in when they adopted Levi and nothing had changed. We saw the seat that they sat in when they saw him for the first time. We spent 3 days touring Levi’s birth city getting to see the things that Sophie and I had not yet been able to see. We saw Maya ruins on a Maya holy day with 3 different groups of worshippers doing their ceremonial celebrations. What an experience! We took tours of the city which included the presidential palace, national cathedral, and the central market. Another interesting place was a 3D relief map of the entire country which was so neat. One of our drivers took us right into “the dump” an area of the city totally controlled by gangs where kids fight each other and dogs for their food scraps. It burned images into our minds that won’t soon be forgotten. If you know us, you know we ate A LOT! We got to eat at some really great traditional restaurants and sample true Guatemalan fare.
Probably the most exciting thing that happened in the city was driving past the hospital where Levi was born and being able to meet the attorney who did Levi’s adoption 11 years ago. For Jeff and Krisanne, they all laughed that they all looked the same, just that there was more of them! Oscar, the attorney, recognized Levi immediately and said he still looked the same as he did as a baby and resembles his birth mother. For us who hadn’t met Oscar, we saw what Jeff and Krisanne loved about him and fell in love with him ourselves. We hope to meet with him again before we leave. One of his new projects is to start a home similar to Agua Viva now that the US is not open to Guatemalan adoptions.
From the city, we drove to Antigua and spent 2 nights in the colonial city. In Antigua, the family got their first taste of Pollo Campero, a Guatemalan favorite. Its like KFC, but 1000 times better. In Antigua, we SHOPPED SHOPPED SHOPPED and took a carriage ride through the city. It was a more relaxed place than the city and we enjoyed the laid back, international atmosphere.
On Thursday morning, we headed from Antigua to Agua Viva. It was so great to be able to show the home to the family and have them see where we are working. The boys and I played soccer with the kids and the others settled into our house. Jeff and Krisanne brought a lot of donations for the home, so we spent some time sorting them.
Friday morning, Evy invited us to see Lake Atitlan, a beautiful lake surrounded by 3 different volcanoes. There, we took a boat ride across the lake and did some more sightseeing and shopping in one of the most beautiful parts of this country. That night we celebrated the May birthdays here at the home and the kids got to watch a movie.
The last two days at Agua Viva, we did different activities with the kids. They included mask making, pinwheels, painting nails, temporary tattoos, and beach ball fights. It was a great night with the kids. On Saturday, Jeff wanted to learn the art of making tortillas, so we went to the kitchen. The oldest cook on staff, maybe the more “old school” one, promptly told him sorry, but men are not allowed to make tortillas. Oh well! What a hoot! Sunday was visitation day, so some of the kid’s parents came to church and got to spend a few hours with the kids. We had a guest preacher and a group of kids who sang for us.
Monday morning, we sat around, drank coffee, and finished packing. We took them to the airport and sent them on their way. We had such a great time getting to show them around and sharing our love of this country.
Thursday, our first group arrives. Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for their arrival!
Check out the pictures from our travels on our photopage! (http://photos.scottandsophie.com)
Love,
Scott and Sophie
Sorry it’s been awhile since an update! As you already know, we have been traveling with Sophie’s parents since May 24th. We wanted to give you an update on what we did and give you some pictures.
On the 24th, we got a ride to Guatemala City and waited for the family to arrive. Jeff, Krisanne, Tully, Abe, and Levi all got there fine and had a wonderful flight. The two youngest girls stayed home with Meme. We spent 3 nights in Guatemala City. What made it so neat was that it was the same hotel that Jeff and Krisanne stayed in when they adopted Levi and nothing had changed. We saw the seat that they sat in when they saw him for the first time. We spent 3 days touring Levi’s birth city getting to see the things that Sophie and I had not yet been able to see. We saw Maya ruins on a Maya holy day with 3 different groups of worshippers doing their ceremonial celebrations. What an experience! We took tours of the city which included the presidential palace, national cathedral, and the central market. Another interesting place was a 3D relief map of the entire country which was so neat. One of our drivers took us right into “the dump” an area of the city totally controlled by gangs where kids fight each other and dogs for their food scraps. It burned images into our minds that won’t soon be forgotten. If you know us, you know we ate A LOT! We got to eat at some really great traditional restaurants and sample true Guatemalan fare.
Probably the most exciting thing that happened in the city was driving past the hospital where Levi was born and being able to meet the attorney who did Levi’s adoption 11 years ago. For Jeff and Krisanne, they all laughed that they all looked the same, just that there was more of them! Oscar, the attorney, recognized Levi immediately and said he still looked the same as he did as a baby and resembles his birth mother. For us who hadn’t met Oscar, we saw what Jeff and Krisanne loved about him and fell in love with him ourselves. We hope to meet with him again before we leave. One of his new projects is to start a home similar to Agua Viva now that the US is not open to Guatemalan adoptions.
From the city, we drove to Antigua and spent 2 nights in the colonial city. In Antigua, the family got their first taste of Pollo Campero, a Guatemalan favorite. Its like KFC, but 1000 times better. In Antigua, we SHOPPED SHOPPED SHOPPED and took a carriage ride through the city. It was a more relaxed place than the city and we enjoyed the laid back, international atmosphere.
On Thursday morning, we headed from Antigua to Agua Viva. It was so great to be able to show the home to the family and have them see where we are working. The boys and I played soccer with the kids and the others settled into our house. Jeff and Krisanne brought a lot of donations for the home, so we spent some time sorting them.
Friday morning, Evy invited us to see Lake Atitlan, a beautiful lake surrounded by 3 different volcanoes. There, we took a boat ride across the lake and did some more sightseeing and shopping in one of the most beautiful parts of this country. That night we celebrated the May birthdays here at the home and the kids got to watch a movie.
The last two days at Agua Viva, we did different activities with the kids. They included mask making, pinwheels, painting nails, temporary tattoos, and beach ball fights. It was a great night with the kids. On Saturday, Jeff wanted to learn the art of making tortillas, so we went to the kitchen. The oldest cook on staff, maybe the more “old school” one, promptly told him sorry, but men are not allowed to make tortillas. Oh well! What a hoot! Sunday was visitation day, so some of the kid’s parents came to church and got to spend a few hours with the kids. We had a guest preacher and a group of kids who sang for us.
Monday morning, we sat around, drank coffee, and finished packing. We took them to the airport and sent them on their way. We had such a great time getting to show them around and sharing our love of this country.
Thursday, our first group arrives. Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for their arrival!
Check out the pictures from our travels on our photopage! (http://photos.scottandsophie.com)
Love,
Scott and Sophie
Sunday, June 1, 2008
We're still here!
Hello All!
So I've heard from some of you that you are checking the blog daily and not getting any updates! This is because I haven't made any updates! :)
Sophie's parents and brothers have been here since the 24th and we've been doing a whirlwind tour of the country while they are here. For this reason, we haven't had time to update the blog. But be ready! We have lots of pics to post and a good rundown of our trip with them.
Thanks for keeping up with us!
Scott and Sophie
So I've heard from some of you that you are checking the blog daily and not getting any updates! This is because I haven't made any updates! :)
Sophie's parents and brothers have been here since the 24th and we've been doing a whirlwind tour of the country while they are here. For this reason, we haven't had time to update the blog. But be ready! We have lots of pics to post and a good rundown of our trip with them.
Thanks for keeping up with us!
Scott and Sophie
Thursday, May 22, 2008
New Pics
Hey everyone!
Just a quick post to let you know we have posted some more pictures (http://photos.scottandsophie.com). The last post was not very good because our files were too big and I didn't have time to get them posted. You can find more pics of our house in a new album and then pictures of the kids in another new album.
No news on the job front yet. We're expecting to hear from Mooresville any day.
We love hearing from you all!
Love
Scott and Sophie
Just a quick post to let you know we have posted some more pictures (http://photos.scottandsophie.com). The last post was not very good because our files were too big and I didn't have time to get them posted. You can find more pics of our house in a new album and then pictures of the kids in another new album.
No news on the job front yet. We're expecting to hear from Mooresville any day.
We love hearing from you all!
Love
Scott and Sophie
Monday, May 19, 2008
Getting Settled, Job Search
Hello from Guatemala!
We arrived on Saturday night with no problems except a slight delay in Miami. Waiting for us was the Director, Miss Evy, the driver Victor, and one of the boys named Joel. On the way home, we got Pollo Campero, a famous chicken place in Central America. It is wonderful! When we got home we got settled in the house (see the photo link from www.scottandsophie.com). The house is great. It is such a blessing to be able to have more room for the summer than last year. We hear rodents outside and in the walls, but they say they won’t actually enter the house! Aah!
Sunday was church. The kids are so cute on Sundays all dressed up. We had Sunday school with the older kids where Eduardo taught about the dangers of debt in life. The Bible has strong warnings about becoming a slave to others through borrowing and debt. This is an important lesson for these kids, especially those leaving the home soon and going out on their own. Then we had regular church with all the kids. They sing songs and Eduardo preaches. This week’s sermon was out of John, Chapter 7. Eduardo taught the kids about the validity of Jesus’ claim of being God’s son. After church on Sundays is a great time because the kids get to relax, play, and watch TV. It was a good time for us to finish unpacking and getting the house settled. Dinner was a typical Guatemalan fare: Carne Asada (grilled steak), rice, and Guacamole. YUM!
Today, we met with Evy to discuss the teams that are coming, and the kind of things we will be doing. We love Evy so much, she is such a strong woman, and has the heart of a servant. Tomorrow we are picking up our intern for the summer, Joseph. He will be assisting us wherever we need him. He is a student at Gardner Webb University.
As you remember, I had a wonderful interview at Mooresville on Friday before we left. We asked all of you to join in praying with us about this job, that if God did not want us to pursue this job any further that he make it clear. My own individual prayer was that other schools would show interest. When we checked the email today, there was an email from another school that I had an initial interview with. This school was actually my second choice based on the initial interview (Mooresville was my first choice). It was not an offer, but they were asking if I was still seeking employment. I told them that technically, I still was, and asked if they could provide more information about what I would be teaching and the salary schedule. We are kind of in shock, now questioning what God has in His plan for us. We know there are no coincidences for the Christian, so here are our three scenarios we can envision:
1. Our God is not only great, but has a sense of humor. He’s telling us “Not only have I provided for you, but you can choose between your first two choices. Each will be great for him, and you get to decide!”
2. God heard our prayer about Mooresville, and is answering our prayer about leading us to another school and this second school is where Scott needs to go.
3. Satan has heard our spoken prayers and is trying to interfere with God’s plan to lead Scott to Mooresville. We can see Satan using the busyness of our jobs here in Guatemala to place a stumbling block in our process of selecting a school.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE join us in lifting up this situation. We know that God is involved in the littlest aspects of our lives and is surely involved in this one. We pray that God will show us which of the above scenarios is a reality, and continue to lead us in the direction he wants us to go.
We love you all and are excited about the work we’ve begun here! Don’t forget to check out the pictures and leave comments and voicemails via the comments link and the button to the right. We’ve LOVED all the voicemails you’ve already left!
Scott and Sophie
We arrived on Saturday night with no problems except a slight delay in Miami. Waiting for us was the Director, Miss Evy, the driver Victor, and one of the boys named Joel. On the way home, we got Pollo Campero, a famous chicken place in Central America. It is wonderful! When we got home we got settled in the house (see the photo link from www.scottandsophie.com). The house is great. It is such a blessing to be able to have more room for the summer than last year. We hear rodents outside and in the walls, but they say they won’t actually enter the house! Aah!
Sunday was church. The kids are so cute on Sundays all dressed up. We had Sunday school with the older kids where Eduardo taught about the dangers of debt in life. The Bible has strong warnings about becoming a slave to others through borrowing and debt. This is an important lesson for these kids, especially those leaving the home soon and going out on their own. Then we had regular church with all the kids. They sing songs and Eduardo preaches. This week’s sermon was out of John, Chapter 7. Eduardo taught the kids about the validity of Jesus’ claim of being God’s son. After church on Sundays is a great time because the kids get to relax, play, and watch TV. It was a good time for us to finish unpacking and getting the house settled. Dinner was a typical Guatemalan fare: Carne Asada (grilled steak), rice, and Guacamole. YUM!
Today, we met with Evy to discuss the teams that are coming, and the kind of things we will be doing. We love Evy so much, she is such a strong woman, and has the heart of a servant. Tomorrow we are picking up our intern for the summer, Joseph. He will be assisting us wherever we need him. He is a student at Gardner Webb University.
As you remember, I had a wonderful interview at Mooresville on Friday before we left. We asked all of you to join in praying with us about this job, that if God did not want us to pursue this job any further that he make it clear. My own individual prayer was that other schools would show interest. When we checked the email today, there was an email from another school that I had an initial interview with. This school was actually my second choice based on the initial interview (Mooresville was my first choice). It was not an offer, but they were asking if I was still seeking employment. I told them that technically, I still was, and asked if they could provide more information about what I would be teaching and the salary schedule. We are kind of in shock, now questioning what God has in His plan for us. We know there are no coincidences for the Christian, so here are our three scenarios we can envision:
1. Our God is not only great, but has a sense of humor. He’s telling us “Not only have I provided for you, but you can choose between your first two choices. Each will be great for him, and you get to decide!”
2. God heard our prayer about Mooresville, and is answering our prayer about leading us to another school and this second school is where Scott needs to go.
3. Satan has heard our spoken prayers and is trying to interfere with God’s plan to lead Scott to Mooresville. We can see Satan using the busyness of our jobs here in Guatemala to place a stumbling block in our process of selecting a school.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE join us in lifting up this situation. We know that God is involved in the littlest aspects of our lives and is surely involved in this one. We pray that God will show us which of the above scenarios is a reality, and continue to lead us in the direction he wants us to go.
We love you all and are excited about the work we’ve begun here! Don’t forget to check out the pictures and leave comments and voicemails via the comments link and the button to the right. We’ve LOVED all the voicemails you’ve already left!
Scott and Sophie
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Today's the day!
Good morning everyone...
We woke up today and are very excited about our trip. I'd be lying if I said there weren't some nervous feelings going around, but the excitement far outweighs them.
Jeff got up early and is making us biscuits and gravy (Sophie's Absolute Favorite breakfast) and we're just going to visit and circle up to pray over our trip.
We are leaving English (Sophie's hometown), at 10 AM and will be depart around 1pm. We'll get to Guatemala at 6:40pm their time. We ask that you cover this day with prayer as we are traveling!
By the way, don't forget about the "Call Me" feature on the blog. You can enter YOUR home phone number, click Call, and YOUR phone will ring. When you answer, it will be a recorded message from us, and you can then leave a message, just like a voicemail, that we can access through email. We WILL LOVE TO HEAR YOUR VOICES and will give us an extra pick-me-up on tough days!
Love you all!
Scott and Sophie
We woke up today and are very excited about our trip. I'd be lying if I said there weren't some nervous feelings going around, but the excitement far outweighs them.
Jeff got up early and is making us biscuits and gravy (Sophie's Absolute Favorite breakfast) and we're just going to visit and circle up to pray over our trip.
We are leaving English (Sophie's hometown), at 10 AM and will be depart around 1pm. We'll get to Guatemala at 6:40pm their time. We ask that you cover this day with prayer as we are traveling!
By the way, don't forget about the "Call Me" feature on the blog. You can enter YOUR home phone number, click Call, and YOUR phone will ring. When you answer, it will be a recorded message from us, and you can then leave a message, just like a voicemail, that we can access through email. We WILL LOVE TO HEAR YOUR VOICES and will give us an extra pick-me-up on tough days!
Love you all!
Scott and Sophie
Friday, May 16, 2008
WOW WOW WOW
Well, today we were once amazed by the hand of God in our lives. As you know, I had an interview this morning at Mooresville High School. As we drove up this morning, I was not the least bit worried, but then I began worrying that I wasn't worrying! We got to the school about 20 minutes early, we said a prayer together and I headed into the building. I was supposed to meet with the Assistant Principal, but when they came and got me in the waiting room, it was the head principal instead. Something had come up with Ms. Ferguson and she couldn't do my interview. We began the interview with the typical interview questions that I've been asked a hundred times by a hundred different people. The interview was going well and I really liked the principal. Then it took a turn to the crazy...
We began talking about my family, and I mentioned that my dad was an executive minister. He seemed interested and I told him that my grandfather is a preacher as well. He said, "What a coincidence, my son is a youth minister, he is getting the congregational vote on Sunday at his new church in Bloomington called Sherwood Oaks Christian Church." Well...you can imagine my jaw hit the floor and I began laughing uncontrollably. He was obviously curious and I told him that I have been a member at SOCC for over 4 years now. He replied with "You're Kidding." Suddenly all those questions probing into my personal life about my morality and being a role model didn't matter. He even said, "So we understand eachother then!" I noticed his bible on his desk and we talked about different Bible Colleges that our families had gone to. When I told him about Juli and my Mom going to Milligan, he said that he loves the Buffaloes and was going to wear a Milligan shirt to school that day! What can you say to something like that?!!!??!!
The rest of the interview was just great. He told me that I did a great job and that I am at the top of their candidates. He wants to fill the position within the week and wants me to be prepared for a response if they were to offer it to me. I get the feeling that this is going to happen.
So now blog readers...please continue to pray, but lets first and foremost give TONS OF PRAISE that God has worked the way he did. Little did I know how much would happen within 48 hours of the start of our mission trip! God is such a rascal! Now we are praying that God would make it clear if this is the job He has prepared for us. All our thoughts and logic point that this is the case, but we want to give God the time to speak and for us to listen. Please pray that if this is NOT the job for us, that he would make it EXTREMELY evident! I know it will be hard for us to be listening while we are packing the car and flying on planes, so please, please be praying for our discernment of God's will.
We hope you continue to follow our journey which has already been so exciting! We love you all
Scott and Sophie
We began talking about my family, and I mentioned that my dad was an executive minister. He seemed interested and I told him that my grandfather is a preacher as well. He said, "What a coincidence, my son is a youth minister, he is getting the congregational vote on Sunday at his new church in Bloomington called Sherwood Oaks Christian Church." Well...you can imagine my jaw hit the floor and I began laughing uncontrollably. He was obviously curious and I told him that I have been a member at SOCC for over 4 years now. He replied with "You're Kidding." Suddenly all those questions probing into my personal life about my morality and being a role model didn't matter. He even said, "So we understand eachother then!" I noticed his bible on his desk and we talked about different Bible Colleges that our families had gone to. When I told him about Juli and my Mom going to Milligan, he said that he loves the Buffaloes and was going to wear a Milligan shirt to school that day! What can you say to something like that?!!!??!!
The rest of the interview was just great. He told me that I did a great job and that I am at the top of their candidates. He wants to fill the position within the week and wants me to be prepared for a response if they were to offer it to me. I get the feeling that this is going to happen.
So now blog readers...please continue to pray, but lets first and foremost give TONS OF PRAISE that God has worked the way he did. Little did I know how much would happen within 48 hours of the start of our mission trip! God is such a rascal! Now we are praying that God would make it clear if this is the job He has prepared for us. All our thoughts and logic point that this is the case, but we want to give God the time to speak and for us to listen. Please pray that if this is NOT the job for us, that he would make it EXTREMELY evident! I know it will be hard for us to be listening while we are packing the car and flying on planes, so please, please be praying for our discernment of God's will.
We hope you continue to follow our journey which has already been so exciting! We love you all
Scott and Sophie
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Progress on the Job Search?
Hello everyone.
As you can imagine, we are busy getting ready to fly out on Saturday! We are very excited and a tad bit nervous.
Today, as we were driving, I got a phone call and it happened to be from a woman I initially interviewed with back on April 21. She was from the Mooresville School District (North of Bloomington about 40 minutes), and she said they were entering the second stage of the interview process and wanted to set up a time to meet with me. I told her I would be thrilled, BUT, I was leaving the country on Saturday and wouldn't be back until August! I asked if there was any way we could meet tomorrow (Friday), and she said, Sure! So tomorrow I have a second interview with her and the Head of the Science Department at 10:30 AM. If you read this blog before then, please be in prayer for me and the interview!
It is great to see God working. We have known all along that he is going to provide, and isn't it just like God to place this in our lives just 48 hours before we begin our mission trip?! We know we bring him joy when we stay strong in our faith! It isn't always easy, but he delights in the desires of our hearts and we truly are his children!
I'll post hopefully tomorrow to let you know how it went!
Blessings!
Scott
As you can imagine, we are busy getting ready to fly out on Saturday! We are very excited and a tad bit nervous.
Today, as we were driving, I got a phone call and it happened to be from a woman I initially interviewed with back on April 21. She was from the Mooresville School District (North of Bloomington about 40 minutes), and she said they were entering the second stage of the interview process and wanted to set up a time to meet with me. I told her I would be thrilled, BUT, I was leaving the country on Saturday and wouldn't be back until August! I asked if there was any way we could meet tomorrow (Friday), and she said, Sure! So tomorrow I have a second interview with her and the Head of the Science Department at 10:30 AM. If you read this blog before then, please be in prayer for me and the interview!
It is great to see God working. We have known all along that he is going to provide, and isn't it just like God to place this in our lives just 48 hours before we begin our mission trip?! We know we bring him joy when we stay strong in our faith! It isn't always easy, but he delights in the desires of our hearts and we truly are his children!
I'll post hopefully tomorrow to let you know how it went!
Blessings!
Scott
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Weekend and Random Acts of Kindness
Hey everyone! We're fresh off the plane after a fun but EXHAUSTING weekend. On Friday, I (Scott) woke up and left the apartment at 3:30 AM to drive to Indianapolis to catch a plane to Baltimore, MD. You may remember Chris Shreiner from our wedding; well, he tied the knot on Saturday to his longtime girlfriend Charlotte. Sophie had a final on Friday, so had to fly out first thing Saturday. I went and picked her up and toured Baltimore's Inner Harbor in the morning. Then it was back to the church for the wedding. We had a great time at the wedding and reception catching up with old friends. After a long day, we then went to bed, only to get up and out of the hotel at 5:30 AM to catch a train to Washington, D.C! It isn't every day you get the chance to see our nation's capital! It has been probably 15 years since I was last there, and Sophie had never been. We hit the city running and were absolutely beat by 10:00 AM! We decided that to see the rest of the city and still have time to make our plane back in Baltimore, we would finish the city on a tour bus. It was an exciting and relaxing way to see all the sights!
When we got home, we were exhausted, and having missed the mail all weekend, limped to the mailbox to pick it up. Little did we know the gift we had there for us. You can see from the note, that someone gave us an anonymous donation for our trip. No explanation, no name, just a note and cash. 
If you can't read it, it says "Dear Children, God wants you to have this to help. Love, God.
If you can't read it, it says "Dear Children, God wants you to have this to help. Love, God.We were absolutely shocked by this anonymous generosity. I have to admit I was even a little convicted, asking myself if I could give like this person and not want the receiver to know. My mind began working, trying to imagine the motivations of the giver. Had God worked so visibly in this person's life to make it clear that he wanted them to help us? Had someone been praying for us and through strange circumstance been given a blessing like this to pass on?
I will never know the details or the giver, but thank God for the opportunity to search my heart and learn once again how he provides for his children.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Our last Sunday, A Trip to Kansas
Hey folks. I know it's been a long time since our last post. I've been busy trying to get a teaching job nailed down before we leave for Guatemala. As of now, we haven't heard anything back from the public schools I've applied to. Schools seem to move much more slowly than I'd like! But I am not putting any expectations on God. He has provided us with so much and validated every decision we've made so far in regards to this trip, I just know He is watching us and smiling, knowing what His plans are that we just can't even begin to grasp. So please be praying for my job situation! In my prayer time last night, I found this passage from Matthew, and I plan to hold tight to this scripture:
Matthew 6:25-27
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Last week we took a trip out to Kansas to see my Aunt and Uncle; Laurie and Greg, and their two boys Joey and Josh. Laurie and the boys are going to be part of the team coming from their church to Agua Viva this summer! We took an afternoon to meet with the team leaders and then another evening to meet the entire team. This was such a wonderful experience to get to meet the team and give them a bit of an orientation before getting to the home. They had lots of good questions and seem very eager to work. An added bonus was spending the weekend with Laurie and Greg and the boys who have been EXTREMEMLY supportive of our decision to make this trip. It makes it so much easier when your loved ones are there cheering you on! Thanks guys!
Today (April 27) was our last Sunday at Sherwood Oaks until we get back from Guatemala. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to all our friends at church. It made it all the more real that we are really doing this! Tom was great and had us come up on stage for all 3 services and pray for our trip and introduce us to the congregation. We'll miss Tom's sermons and the routine of Sunday mornings that we've become accustomed to! It will be a while before we hear a sermon in English again!
We ask that you continue to pray for our trip and our finances. We've done pretty well, but have not reached our goal yet. We know that no matter how much we raise, God will be able to use it to bless our lives and the lives of the children at Agua Viva.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Al que puede hacer muchisimo mas que todo lo que podamos imaginarnos o pedir, por el poder que obra eficazmente en nosotros, a el sea la gloria en la iglesia y en Cristo Jesus por todas las generaciones, por los siglos de los siglos! Amen
Matthew 6:25-27
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Last week we took a trip out to Kansas to see my Aunt and Uncle; Laurie and Greg, and their two boys Joey and Josh. Laurie and the boys are going to be part of the team coming from their church to Agua Viva this summer! We took an afternoon to meet with the team leaders and then another evening to meet the entire team. This was such a wonderful experience to get to meet the team and give them a bit of an orientation before getting to the home. They had lots of good questions and seem very eager to work. An added bonus was spending the weekend with Laurie and Greg and the boys who have been EXTREMEMLY supportive of our decision to make this trip. It makes it so much easier when your loved ones are there cheering you on! Thanks guys!
Today (April 27) was our last Sunday at Sherwood Oaks until we get back from Guatemala. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to all our friends at church. It made it all the more real that we are really doing this! Tom was great and had us come up on stage for all 3 services and pray for our trip and introduce us to the congregation. We'll miss Tom's sermons and the routine of Sunday mornings that we've become accustomed to! It will be a while before we hear a sermon in English again!
We ask that you continue to pray for our trip and our finances. We've done pretty well, but have not reached our goal yet. We know that no matter how much we raise, God will be able to use it to bless our lives and the lives of the children at Agua Viva.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Al que puede hacer muchisimo mas que todo lo que podamos imaginarnos o pedir, por el poder que obra eficazmente en nosotros, a el sea la gloria en la iglesia y en Cristo Jesus por todas las generaciones, por los siglos de los siglos! Amen
Monday, February 25, 2008
Site Updates/News
Hey All!
Just a few quick notes here. Firstly, if you look below our picture on the home page, there is a new weather feature. It should display the current weather and related information for Chimaltenango, the town Agua Viva is in. Secondly, and probably the most fun, is the new Call Me button on the Blog. This is set up so that you can click that number and enter your phone number. Once you click it, it rings your phone, and automatically connects you to our Voice Mail that we can access online for free! Its free for us and free for you, so PLEASE leave us some love! It will get us through the long stretches when we are missing all of you!
Also, we got news that instead of staying in the dorm style rooms all summer, the home is giving us the A-Frame House! Its two stories, with two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living/dining room, and a kitchen. It will make us feel so much more settled being able to have the house to go to. We have great memories from the house last summer, where the americans would meet for homemade pizza once a week. We look forward to making lots of new memories!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Walking in Faith
Even though we don't leave for Guatemala for a few months, the Lord has still been busy at work and much has happened in preparation for us leaving. It is amazing how He has been preparing us for this trip long before we even knew we were going. We continue to be amazed at what our God does and how He takes care of us. Almost daily, the Lord gives us nudges, showing us that we are doing exactly what He wants. There is not nearly enough space to write, and you don't have nearly enough time to read about each thing He has done, but there are two that we would love to share with you.When we first made the decision about one and a half years ago that Scott would leave the PhD program, we knew it was the right thing and what the Lord wanted to happen for us. We knew that having his PhD would not allow Scott to be the Godly husband or father that he desires to be, but now that time has passed, we see even more specifically why God led us in that decision. The Lord needs Scott and me to be in Guatemala this summer, the summer of 2008; if Scott was still in the lab, we would not be able to go. It is amazing to see that God knew long before we did where we would be in the summer of 2008, and to watch how He set things into motion to complete His Will.People often ask us how we are going to take care of things here at home while we are gone, and we just say that we don't know...it isn't for us to worry about. As many of you know, when you follow the Lord, He works out the small details and doesn't want you to worry a bit. For example, we wondered what to do with our apartment while we are gone. It isn't long enough to completely move out, but it is too long to just let it sit. Before we even had time to "stress" about it, the Lord sent us the answer. One of my dear Christian friends is going to be taking Arabic classes at IU and needed a place to say, but just for the summer. Some would say it's ironic, but we know its no coincidence. It is so neat to see our Father provide for the needs of His children; He is so good.As we prepare to go, we are being overwhelmed by the greatness of our God. As Satan hurls discouragement and obstacles at us, God matches each with comfort and reassurance. Please continue to pray for us as we prepare to leave.Love,Sophie
Getting Started
Well,We've begun the process of fundraising for the trip. We met with Lyne at Sherwood Oaks yesterday and picked up our envelopes and letters. We are sending to friends and family across the country. It is a daunting task and one that has to be done soon! If you've come to the site, somehow you've heard about our pending trip and we're glad you've come. In case you don't know, we are going to be living at the Agua Viva Children's home in Guatemala for the summer. Please be praying for our trip and raising the funds we need to make the trip!And please check back often to see how we are doing getting ready for the trip!
Love,Scott and Sophie
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