Merry Christmas to all! 


I am currently guarding the babies and the house, accompanied by a shotgun (Mom, don't freak out!), while Josh is taking the older kids to town to watch the midnight fireworks. 


We celebrated "fake Christmas", as the kids called it, with presents and such on the 14th of December (about 8 hours after we got home) before Dave and Deborah left the next day to visit their families in the States. So Josh and I are holding down the fort and trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive even though we kinda celebrated already. The kids are seriously enjoying staying up late, movies, popcorn, lots of Wii time, and just a general party atmosphere, mixed in with a few chores of course. Ha. 

Happy 13th Birthday, Jeamy!

And Jhostin wins the Saturday morning lottery pancake with a fabulous [random] guess!

Playing Wii with the Angelito, Vidalia, and Isai. This is not my forte. 

:) 

Lettuce salad snacks! No complaints here. 

Warm and sunny days here! 

Today we slept in as long as the babies/toddlers would allow us! We had a lazy breakfast, a lazy lunch, and a cross cultural Christmas eve supper(s) of tamales (thanks to Jose and his wife and family!) and pizza! 

Tomorrow, which is almost here, will probably consist of more sleeping in and relaxation! And possibly Skype calls with family! Fun! 


I would be lying to pretend we're not homesick at all, but in the same breath I am so privileged to be here and help make Christmas special for these children. To help give them their very own Christmas traditions; to help give them family. Words don't quite describe how special family truly is, and far, far too often we callously forget that. I could probably rant awhile about what family means to me and what I think family should look like and such, but since it's Christmas Eve...I'll spare you. :) 


Do you think Jesus was homesick during His time on Earth? 
That was random, I know. 


My prayer this Christmas is that my heart's focus would be Jesus. That in all my ways, He would be glorified. I get so busy that I forget. I think about the next meal and who needs to go to the potty next and how to refocus the toddlers away from the tree and how to make everyone sit quietly to watch a nice family movie and I just lose it. I get grinch-like. And I don't like grinches. 
I want Jesus to be everything. Every moment, every day. 
Not just at Christmas. 
But I'm thankful that the chaos and commotion of a house with 21 people, two cats, and a Christmas tree helps to nicely strip away my "perfect Christmas" ideals and reveals my desperate need for Jesus. 




We wish you all a blessed, Jesus-in-everything Christmas this year! 
And every day, for that matter. 

Goodnight. 
P.S. While the photos were uploading, the troops have returned from the fireworks! The big house can be spooky when one is all alone. 

Stateside

Today is the day. The last day. 
Before we go home. 
Leave home-home to go home. 


If that doesn't make sense, let me know. 
It makes perfect sense in my brain. 


It's been just lovely being here. Wonderful, fantastic, awesome, and all those other out of control adjectives. But mostly, its been plain good. Like the good-that-hurts-my-heart kind of good. 


It's been good to relax and spend lots of time with our families. We are blessed. 
It's been good to be in church and hear the Gospel in our language, surrounded by people who love us, support us, and challenge us. We are super blessed, really. 


I'm sad to leave here. Goodbyes don't get easier, in my opinion. 
But I'm really, really excited to see the kiddos. I MISS them. 


I'm thankful that we are returning feeling refreshed, recharged, restored. I'm thankful for family, church and friends here who challenge, love, pray us through. We could not make it without you. I told Josh that I feel incredibly sad for people who come home from foreign missions and don't have the support and love that we have. Super, super blessed. 


People have asked us "So are you going to be lifetime missionaries?"
 "Where are you going to missionary next?" 
The answers are "yes" and "wherever we live". 
I am learning this: I am called to be a missionary for the rest of my life, wherever I live. 
If you are a believer, the calling is for you too. 
Maybe God won't call you to Guatemala or any other foreign place, but central Pennsylvania has a whole lot of needs too. A whole lot of people need Jesus here too. 
Look around. Ask God to show you a need. Be willing. And obey. 


And being a missionary doesn't mean a person has it all together. 
Cause people call me a missionary and you know, I'm not even close to having life together. Moving to Guatemala did not magically move me beyond materialism or move me to a higher plain of prayer and devotional life. 
I get angry. 
I say mean words. 
I think horrid thoughts. 
I am selfish. proud. arrogant. ignorant. 


But I thank God for Jesus Christ! 
I know God is refining me, us in our time in Guatemala. It's hard and it's not all its cracked up to be. [Being a missionary, that is] Or all I imagined it to be. 
I want to live all about Jesus, all about HIS Gospel. And right now, I'm called to Guatemala. 


So I'm excited to fly south tomorrow, to continue the refining process, to learn better how to live everyday for Jesus, for His Gospel, giving His love to those around me. 


Feel free to ask me in about three weeks or so if I'm living what I say. Cause I'll need to hear it. Lots. 


And so ends my random collection of thoughts on my mind. There is plenty floating around in my brain, but this is all for now. 


Thank you to each one who made our trip home so special and relaxing and good. 
We love you! 


p.s. There is entirely too much food in this country. really.