HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONNY!

Happy 24th Birthday to my amazing brother Jon! Love you brother.

El Tiempo Ha Venido.... Demasiado Rápido!

View of Antigua from Cerro de la Cruz

On my walk to school (and everywhere else :).... view of Volcano Fuego smoking

(Yo quería escribir mi último historia en mi blog en Guatemala en español, entonces aquí es la traducción debajo! No es perfecto, pero estoy aprendiendo todavia!)

Manaña iré ver a mi familia!!! Estoy muy emocionada para ver a ellos, especialmente mis sobrinos! Cuando estoy pensando en ver mi familia, es más fácil para mi salir de aquí. Porque realmente, no quiero salir de aquí definitivamente. Nunca en mi vida he querido estar en dos lugares a la vez como ahora! Es una nueva experiencia para mi y un poquito rara! Y a causa de esto, estaba pensando.... es esta una experiencia común o estoy viviendo algo un poquito extraño?

Mi última semana en Guatemala ha pasado mucho más rápido que he esperado. Durante la semana final de las clases, yo estaba pensando mucho acerca de mi tiempo aqui y que mi vida estaré cómo cuando yo regreso a los Estados. Aprendí mucho durante my tiempo aquí, no solamente español, pero mucho acerca Dios, mi vida, mis amigos.... muchas cosas, y realmente me siento cómo una diferente persona ahora. Entonces, va a ser muy interesante para mi cuando estoy con mi familia otra vez! Los dos días finales de clases, yo hablaba mucho con mi maestra sobre mucho que estuve pensando. Yo aprendí tanto de ella. Estoy muy, muy, muy agradecida por ella porque ella no solamente me ha ayudado a aprender español, lo cual fue unos de mis sueños por todo de mi vida, pero ella me ensenó mucho sobre vida, como estar agradecido siempre, en todos los circumstancias.... su vida es un buen ejemplo para mi. Una cosa que ella me ensenó es la belleza de una vida simple. La alegría de disfrutar vida y no estar preocupado con cosas de no importancia cómo posesiones de materiales.

Durante nuestra último día de clase, hablabamos acerca de cómo es muy difícil para mi salir a los Estados, pero a la vez cómo estoy muy emocionado para ver mi familia y pasar tiempo con ellos después de mucho tiempo! Yo dije a ella que al principio yo estaba feliz para regresar a mi casa para Navidad, pero ahora Antigua está decorado hermosamente para Navidad con muchas luces alrededor de los árboles y ahora quiero estar aquí para experimentar Navidad en una cultura diferente. Honestamente, no me gustaba Navidad mucho en el pasado. Fue una tiempo para mi cuando todas las personas gastaría mucho dinero por cosas que no necesitan. Pero aquí me siento diferente, por la primera vez me gusta Navidad. Es un tiempo muy bonita, es acerca de familia y amigos, acerca de pasar tiempo con personas que tu amas y ayudar a otras personas. Yo dijo a mi maestra tambien cómo yo siento un poquito mejor saber que algunos de mis amigos que viven en Guatemala ya fueron a los Estados para Navidad y el Año Nuevo, pero a la vez yo sé que ellos van a regresar aquí. Pero yo? No sé! Pero a pesar de esto, yo tengo paz. Yo sé que Dios está dando mi Su paz, una paz que yo puedo tener a pesar de cualquier circumstancia. Mi maestra me recordó que siempre debemos orar mucho en cada circumstancia y hablar con personas que confiamos en. Ella me dijo que cuando yo regreso, puedo pensar más claro y saber qué yo quiero y necesito hacer. Y también me dijo que lo más importante cosa es poner todos de nuestros preocupaciones en los manos de Dios, porque Él es el único que sabe todo y puede darnos que necesitamos, porque Él sabe que es mejor para nosotros y muchas veces no sabemos!

Estos dos, casi tres, pasado meses me han dado algunos de los mejores experiencias de mi vida y estoy agradecido por siempre por este tiempo. La razón que es muy difícil para me salir aquí es a causa de esto; porque Dios me dio una iglesia increíble y amigos iguales. Estoy esperando con interés la próxima cosa que Dios tiene para mí, pero honestamente, estoy lista para algo un poquito más permanente. Estoy harta de hacer amigos y después siempre tener que salir. Pero Dios sabe que es mejor. Él sabe. Y realmente, no me importa qué va a pasar en el futuro, voy a ser agradecida por esta experiencia por siempre!

Este época de Navidad ha estado la mejor de my vida, llena de gratitud, y espero que es lo mismo para ti!

_________________________

(I wanted to write my last blog entry in Guatemala in Spanish, so here is the translation below!)

Tomorrow I am going to see my family!!! I am so excited to see them, especially my nieces and nephews! When I’m thinking about seeing my family, it makes it much easier to leave here. Because really, I don’t want to leave here at all. Never in my life have I wanted to be in two places at the same time as much as now! It’s a new experience for me, and it’s a little bit weird! And because of this I have been thinking…. Is this a common experience or am I going through something a little bit strange?

My last week in Guatemala has passed much faster than I had hoped. But I guess that’s normal. During my final week of classes, I was thinking a lot about my time here and what my life will be like when I return to the States. I've learned so much durning my time here, not only Spanish but but about God, my life, my friends... many things, and really I feel like a different person now. So it will be really interesting for me when I am with my family again! The two last days of classes, I was talking a lot with my teacher about a lot of what I had been thinking about. I've learned so much from her. I am very, very, very, thankful for her because she not only has helped me learn Spanish which has been one of my dreams for as long as I can remember, but she taught me much about life, to be thankful always, in all circumstances... her life is a very good example for me. One thing she reminded me of is the beauty of a simple life. The joy of enjoying life and not being worried about having many material possessions. During our last day of class, we talked about how it's going to be difficult for me to leave for the States, but at the same time how I'm so excited to go and see my family and spend time with them after so much time away! I told her that at first I was happy to return to the States for Christmas, but now Antigua is decorated so beautifully for Christmas with lights around the trees and now I want to be here to experience Christmas in a different culture. Honestly, in the past I didn't like Christmas very much. It was a time for me when everyone would spend money on things that they didn't need. But now I feel different, and for the first time I like Christmas. For me it's a beautiful time, it's about being with family and friends, about spending time with people that you love and about helping people in need. I told my teacher also now I feel a little better knowing that some of my friends that live here in Guate already went to the States for Christmas, but at the same time I know that they are coming back. But me? I don't know yet! But despite this, I have peace. I know that God is giving me His peace, a peace that I can have despite any circumstance. My teacher reminded me that we always have to pray a in every circumstance and talk with people that we trust in. She told me that when I return, I will be able to think more clearly and know what I want and what my next step will be. And also she told me that the most important things is to put all of our concerns in the hands of God, because He is the only one who knows everything and He knows what is best for us while many times we do not!

These two, almost three, past months have given me some of the best experiences of my life and I am forever grateful for this time. The reason that it's so hard for me to leave is because of this; because God gave me an amazing church and friends just the same. I'm looking forward to the next step in life that God has for me, but honestly, I'm ready for something a little more permanent. I'm tired of making friends and then always having to leave. But God knows what is best. He knows. And really, it doesn't matter to me what will happen next; I will always be thankful for this experience!

This Christmas season has been the best of my life so far, full of gratefulness, and I hope it is the same for you!

Cerro de la Cruz

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

-Romans 15:13

Happy Birthday, Mr. T!!!

Happy FOURTH Birthday to my adorable and quite hilarious nephew who never ceases to make me laugh and put me in a good mood! I love you Tristan.... SO MUCH!!

Happy Birthday Emily!!

Happy 22nd Birthday to my sister and best friend, Emily! You mean more to me than you'll ever know, and even though I know I didn't always think this, I know now that your friendship is something I never want to take for granted. TE AMO POR SIEMPRE! ♥

Em, Sarah, and me with our baby rabbits.

Another Reminder....

....That I cannot "judge a book by its cover!"

A friend of mine recently sent this to me, and... yeah. You just have to watch it.

"He put a new song in my mouth..."

-Psalm 40:3

See more of this testimony here!

Rotten Apples

Central Park, Antigua

Yesterday I was in the far back of the market where the clothing department is located, and as I was heading out walking through where all of the produce and other products are sold, I noticed some giant apples that looked really good. Normally I buy small apples from a guy at the front of the market where I know they are fresh, but these ones looked really good just like the ones we get at home when it's the fall time when we make applesauce. So without thinking to feel them and see if they really were of good quality, I told the guy I would like six of them. I gladly paid him fifteen quetzales (two dollars) and was on my way. When I got home that afternoon I was really looking forward to trying them. Well, when I took one bite I was quite disappointed! It was all soft and juiceless. Gross. So I tried another and it was even worse- all pithy and dry. In my disappointment that my "nice big apples" were in fact terrible and that I would have to go back to get the little apples which don't look quite as good but in fact taste the way apples should, I was reminded of a very well-known, but very important, truth: "you can't judge a book by it's cover!" As I experienced yesterday, this can be true with food and other things, but more importantly it's true of people. We cannot know the truth just by appearances. Furthermore, I was reminded not be in judgement of people even if I do know the situation, because who am I to think that I'm better than someone else? God is the only perfect and all-knowing One, and it is His job alone to be the Judge. I've found that I need to be especially careful when I'm temped to judge someone, because I've heard it said that the very thing we hate most in other people is what we are the most guilty of, and I've seen this true in my own life. So, I hope you are reminded and encouraged as I was to see others the way God sees them, and I hope you don't have to go through eating gross apples to remember this important truth! :)

"...The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

-1 Samuel 16:7

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

-Luke 6:41

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."

-Romans 2:1

Agradecido (Grateful).

....No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for those of you who belong to Christ Jesus.

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NLT)

To my dear friends,

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week! I got to video chat with my family on Thanksgiving Day, and that was without a doubt the highlight of the day for me! My entire family was there at my house except for my sister Emily who is still studying in Rwanda. Although it was good to see and talk with my family, it made me want to be with them like never before!

But I am keeping busy here in school and doing other various activities with friends and church. In fact, so busy that I've had no time to blog and am supposed to be studying right now! But I am loving what I am learning and experiencing, and wouldn't trade this for anything. This past week was my first Thanksgiving away from my family, and although I missed them and the amazing food and time we normally share together, I enjoyed my time in Antigua. Instead of our normal meal of turkey, stuffing, pies, and all of our traditional food in the States, I ate typical Guatemalan food for dinner (which I like just just as much!) but I did miss my usual Thanksgiving meal and eating leftover pie for breakfast. This past weekend, however, I went to El Salvador with a friend of mine who needed to renew his passport. While he was at his home outside of the city, I spent the weekend some of my family's friends at their house in San Salvador. They are such a welcoming and generous family, and it was really nice to spend time with them! They also had leftover turkey and pies from Thanksgiving, so I was able to have some of the Thanksgiving food that I missed out on this year! :) They also have a place on a beautiful lake in a volcanic crater located just outside the city. We spent one day there, and it was so nice to be in the hot sun and swimming for the whole day.... a nice break from the chilly weather of Antigua!

Some other dear friends of my family also live in San Salvador and they run this amazing organization called Love Links. I so much wanted to visit them but didn't get the chance this time. I guess I'll just have to go back! :)

I, as always, have so much to be thankful for. In fact, I have everything to be thankful for, because "I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know the secret of living in every situation, whether with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything withe help of Christ who gives me the strength I need" (Phil. 4:12-13). But right now I want to take a moment to say how thankful I am for my parents, who are so gracious and wise. Being apart from them has made me realize how amazing they are in a way that I didn't see before. I know that they have my best in mind and they are so supportive of the dreams that I have. Their patience and love in raising me shows that the most important thing to them is that I, and my siblings, walk in the Truth. And not only am I thankful for their love for me, but I'm thankful that they reach out to others who don't have parents like my siblings and I have.

I am continually thankful for Jesus and His never-ending grace in my life. I am so thankful that He has lead me to Antigua and has given me this church and these friends. I am having the best time of my life, and all the glory is to God.

I really cannot believe that it is December already... :/ My time here has flown by all to quickly! I wasn't expecting it to pass like this, but I guess that it's a blessing that I love being here so much.

I know that as happy as I will be to see my family in a short time, I am not going to be ready to leave. This feels like home now. I've never wanted to be in two places at the same time so very, very, much. But I have to step out of my feelings and know that I must go where God leads, whether I feel like it or not. I must follow His way, not mine, knowing that I can have peace wherever I am and "laugh with no fear of the future" (Prov. 31:25), because He is the One who holds my future in His hands. If it's His will, then I will come back. I have nothing to worry about, and everything to be thankful for.