Another Year, Another Guatemala Trip

I've recently returned from a missions trip to Guatemala. One week in August and it was way too short! What a joy it is to see the families we met in 2009 and get to know them better.  We were able to visit various homes in the communities we work in during the afternoon.  We witnessed two decisions made for Christ and prayed for special needs the families have. Building these relationships is just as important as updating the information on the children who are part of the sponsorship program, and gives the trip more meaning.  

The opportunity to get to know the children and their families is one reason I love going to Guatemala. I am thankful for the time spent playing with the children, praying with their parents, watching their families grow, and seeing the children succeed in school when they had no opportunity for an education before the school and sponsorship program were started.

 Doing a devotional with some of the moms.

 Crafts with the children

 One of the families we visited

 singing "This Little Light of Mine"

 Diego & Linda working on a craft.  They both need a sponsor.

 Beautiful Astrid also needs a sponsor. She is cared for mostly by her elderly grandmother.

 Linda & Doris 

Jony - who can resist this face!! He is a real cutie.

Check out more photos at www.hishandsforguatemala.org

J-ME

A Book-a-holic's Story!

Aside from traveling/mission trips, working full-time at school, and working on ministry paperwork, I have been doing a lot of reading.  I LOVE books!  Since I was a child, they have been my best friends. My love affair with books began when my mother would take me to the public library to the children's room, and I would beg her to get Kiki books which were picture books about a little girl by Charlotte Steiner (Kiki Dances, Kiki Skates, Kiki loves Music).  I loved Kiki, but my mom got kind of tired of reading them!  My mom liked to read, too, so she was my role model.

Then she enrolled me in a book club when I was in 3rd grade and I can remember looking forward to getting a new Happy Hollister mystery book each month! She always allowed me to buy books from the Scholastic book club fliers that we received from school, so by the time I was in high school, I had quite a library of my own.  Books were my friends.  When we lived out in the country where I had no close friends, I had my books.  I loved going to the Bookmobile that came to my school in 3rd & 4th grades to find new books to read, or to my school library in 5th & 6th grade where I discovered Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.


In high school, I worked in my high school library before and after classes. I wanted to be a librarian, but didn't want to go to school for another 5 years.  I wanted to get married and have children, but college was my way out of a dysfunctional home life, so off to college I went studying child development/elementary ed.  I quickly learned the first semester that I could not read for fun like I had done in high school.  When I graduated from college, I thought again about becoming a librarian (getting my masters) but at that time, both the education and library fields were saturated, so I did not pursue it.

I could not find a teaching job, but I did find a job working part time at a city public library for a couple years and also worked as a substitute teacher at a rural school which led to a full time job teaching for a year.  

We then moved due to my husband's job and I was able to become a children's librarian in a small public library until our son was born. So, as you can see, books have always had a special place in my life.


Still, I am a book junkie!  Of all the things I own, getting rid of my books would be the hardest..... but I am getting better. I know of a couple of church libraries I can give them to after I have read and have shared them with teachers at my school who like inspirational books.


I am so enjoying my Kindle and find I have been able to get many books I am interested in for free, but still.... the feel of a book in my hands  - there is nothing that can match it!

looking forward to my next adventure in reading ~
J-ME