A Slow Season?

So...this is supposed to be our slower time of the year, and I suppose it actually is, but we've been busy enough for the time to fly by! Yes, we have fewer numbers of people coming through right now, but still trying to catch up on everything that got behind during the very busy summer months. 

We also had some health issues to deal with. Sandi begin to have some abdominal problems so we went to see a Doctor and it was determined that she needed a hysterectomy right away! So after a few days of tests, etc, Sandi entered the hospital and had surgery! Praise the Lord we had so many people praying for her and the Doctors that everything went as good as it can go. Sandi is getting stronger each day and in another week or two she should be cleared to do anything she wants to again! 

That is a good thing because next week a group of ladies from our home church, Northlake Community Church, are coming to Guatemala for 11 days! Sandi is planning to be working with them for most of their time here!

I somehow during August developed something that was causing me to have severe vertigo. There was no infection in my ears etc. but every 3 - 5 days I would have a severe case of vertigo. I tried an ear Doctor here, but did not care much for him and the treatment he gave me made no difference. I went to a different Doctor and she has been very thorough, and I am optimistic things are getting taken care of. In the last 4 weeks I have had only 2 smaller 'attacks'.

Now, we are working on planning upcoming events. We are already working on plans for the Summer Intern program in 2009. We are having to make adjustments as CAM is having a Convocation, with ALL CAM personnel going to Texas for a week in July '09.

We are also working on a Christmas Eve evangelical outreach dinner for families in the neighborhoods around the dump in Zone 3.

We also have 4 interns here now! Megan Goodwin, Amy Seebeck, Becky Soyster & our daughter Kimberly! Megan and Amy spent 2 weeks in Language school and our now serving at Casita Benjamín. Becky just finished 4 weeks of language school and is serving at The Oasis home for girls. Kimber has another week of language school then will join Becky at The Oasis.

Megan, Amy, Kimber and Becky (l to r)

We continue with our other activities and ministries. We go into Kairos house weekly to visit and lead a worship time with the people there. Many times we enter and you can feel a depressed atmosphere when some kids are not doing well. Usually after an hour of singing to the Lord and a time of prayer it is so much lighter! For a short time the focus is lifted to heaven and the burdens become lighter. It is such a blessing to be there with those families.

Worshiping at Kairos House

We continue to be involved at our church - Comunidad Cristiana 'Pueblo de Dios'.  I continue to help lead the youth group and it is going great. I was invited to the "SOS Las Aldeas", a children's home that most of our youth come from, last week for the 15th birthday of one of the boys in our group. It was a great time to see how the youth that have been coming to our church are really growing in ways the kids that don't come are not. 

This coming week is a traditional time here in Guatemala where everybody goes out and flies kites! We are having an all day activity this coming Saturday for our youth group where we will meet in the morning and build kites, then go out in the afternoon and fly them!

Hugo's 15th birthday!

Last week we also had a very sad occasion. The 15 yr old daughter of one of the elders in our church died. She just had what was thought to be a small cold, and then she died Friday night at about 8 PM. I went to be with the family until about 4 AM and then Saturday at 11 AM was the burial. It was so sad. Things move fast here in Guatemala. Death is never convenient and so here you drop what you are doing and go to the funeral. She was the sweetest girl you could ever meet, and it is very hard on the family. Please remember the Melindez family in your prayers.