September 2015

Before the April trip, I had considered the possibility of going down for an extended time to work with the Shadow of His Wings orphanage as a team coordinator. As it turned out, there was a Canadian family who had been living and serving as missionaries in a nearby town. They had been involved and were familiar with the work at SOHW and were available to relocate to Monjas and fill that role, so I didn't end up doing that. At the end of the trip, although I didn't know WHAT it was I was supposed to be doing there,  I was still convinced that Guatemala where I was supposed to be... and I was ready to go back!

I returned to Guatemala in September of 2015. Thanks to a missionary couple who primarily live in the U.S. and were gracious enough to share their Monjas house with me, I lived in a lovely, completely furnished and very comfortable home (above) in a neighborhood called La Joyita "the little jewel," where the rooftop views were equaled in loveliness only by the delightful little neighbors who lived next door and across the road.   

Views from the rooftop

 Neighbors Rocio and Sofia

Coloring fun!! Rocio took her unfinished page home and later left it at my door as a thoughtful gift. In fact, I came home a couple of times to find surprises from this precious girl.

La Joyita is a bit farther from the center of town than the house where I'd stayed during April, and, though well within walking distance, walking was not as convenient as before. However, I loved the peace and quiet of living in this small neighborhood, and there was a tienda (a little neighborhood store) right around the corner, which made it convenient to acquire staples in an emergency  (like needing a caffeine fix or running out of sugar in the middle of cookie-making!)  

The kitchen is definitely my happy place and I enjoyed many wonderful hours here, puttering around, cooking, and entertaining.

Pizza Party with some of the North American missionaries

Taco Salad night with some friends from Monjas

One of the nice things about living just a bit away from the main part of town: 

I became comfortable using the local taxis (tuk-tuks) which are basically 3-wheelers with seats. You can go anywhere in town for around 50 cents.

Another nice thing about living a bit "out" was the many interesting walks "in" to town. Every day was a new adventure because I never knew what to expect …chickens, a family of ducks, goats, horses, cows....only that every walk would be full of interesting surprises!

Not having a specific "ministry goal" this trip, I was kindly invited  by Cyndi Cope to help out and participate in her work.  Cyndi has been a missionary in Guatemala for nearly 12 years and started the first youth center in Monjas as well as the only board of education approved English school in the whole department of Jalapa.  Gotas de Esperanza (Drops of Hope) was established with the goal of opening opportunities in the lives of young people, not only in the present by providing an affordable and safe recreational venue in a Christian environment but also by opening future job opportunities through offering the chance to learn English. You can learn more about what Cyndi is doing at http://www.dohg.org/.

I was also thankful to be welcomed back by the team at La Fábrica, my favorite hanging out spot where there is always good food, great coffee, inviting conversation, and plenty of craziness… best place in Monjas for relaxing with old friends and meeting new ones!

Goofing off with these three gals and the owner and crew at La Fábrica!

La Fábrica crew practicing their latte art...lucky, lucky me!!

Every Tuesday is Market Day! Throughout the park and surrounding area,  vendors sell everything from fruits and vegetables and amazing smelling spices to flowers, toys, shoes and clothing as well as all kinds of personal and household items.

By the time I returned in September, my buddy Ali was an exhausted mom to a whole gang of adorable puppies!

I can't resist sharing a couple of photos of what looks like a disaster but in reality was quite a valiant attempt to confine the puppies, along with their creative (and other) messes to one small area of the house instead of subjecting the entire house to their havoc-wreaking. The dividing "wall" was constructed using an old couch (getting "older" by the minute!), an extra mattress, a dining table, a coffee table and some wooden boxes.

And it worked...for awhile!

A few more trip highlights:

Movie night with Cyndi and Gabriela Cope…

Canadian Thanksgiving with missionary friends ...

...and getting to meet so many wonderful people - people from church like these gorgeous little girls... 

...and Silvia, who made this wallet...

... and people from town, like Deana and her family, especially her mother, who LOVES taking pictures and ALWAYS has an enormous smile, a big hug, and something wise and hilarious to say! 

It was (as usual) hard saying goodbye to Monjas. This trip was made up not of one specific "mission" but of  a variety of beautiful opportunities, beautiful people, beautiful things to learn. My wise friend Sara, mother of the young ladies in the "goofing off in La Fábrica pictures," taught her girls to ask God, "What do You want to do through me today?" and "What do You want me to do that is 'impossible?'" I love that and have adopted these questions as I seek to define with more clarity the purpose to which I am called here, meanwhile enjoying the adventure, the journey, and the awesome lessons along the way.