Grammie Duty

First things first.


Morning devotions.

  

Now David has to pump the stroller tires so he can go on a morning walk with Grammie and Mama.

I've flown to Nicaragua to pick up David and take him back to Grammie and GrandDad's house.  In the mean time, I'm enjoying the Grammie Duty here in Nicaragua.   David will fly with me back on Monday and will be with us in Guatemala for 10 days. 

 Ellen is teasing me that she thinks I can "potty train" David in the short 10 days, but I can't say I have experience in that category.  Thank you Grandmommy (my mom) for potty training all 3 of our kids years ago.  

Then I'll return with David back to Nicaragua and wait for BabyGirl to arrive soon afterwards (that's the plan, but you know newborns can have other ideas.)
  Ellen's due date is March 8th.

 

 Ellen and Luke are in the midst of a new addition to their home and there are workers coming in and out of the house. There is dirt, cement, banging, hammering and electric sawing going on daily.  But the end result will be nice...they will have a new 2nd bathroom along with a closet and laundry room.

~J

The Word of Our God

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

See How the Lord Works!

Again, I am in awe at how the Lord brings new people into our lives.  And we didn't even ask.  Just the day before we were to arrive in Chicago, Nancy, the Alumni Director, sent me an email saying that "some alumni was offering her home to anyone who would like to stay with them instead of paying for a hotel room during Founder's Week."  Well, that was a "no-brainer" for Glenn and me.

Thanks ClarLyn for your gracious hospitality!

And then on top of that, we were able to meet other new friends who were staying with ClarLyn also.  It was good to meet Bonnie and Amos also.

We had several FULL days at Moody, re-connecting with old friends, making new ones, having dinner with old classmates, talking with new Moody student about their upcoming summer internships with Camino, and even staying our last day with old friends from Foster Avenue Baptist Church I knew as a MBI student years ago.

Again, my heart is blessed to see how the Lord puts old friends (Thanks Pam and Ken) and new friends (Thank you, ClarLyn, David, Bonnie, Amos) in our lives to encourage us on our journey.  I am reminded that I can be "intentional" with relationships (old and new) and that the Lord puts folks in our pathway to bless us by offering us housing, a warm meal and a pleasant smile.

Thank you, Lord!

Moody Bible Institute Founder's Week

Our time at Founder's Week was precious.

Besides our 35th Class Reunion,

I loved the singing. {Great is Thy Faithfulness}

I loved hearing the choirs.

And I get moved each time that I see the parade of flags of nations.  Each nation represented by a Moody Student has a flag displayed.  Over 50 flags were on parade.

I love meeting new friends.  Hearing their stories.  Meeting Alumni from all over the world - especially those returning for their 50th Class reunion.  Watching old friends reconnecting after so many years was thrilling! I thoroughly was energized by reconnecting with class mates from 35 years ago.

I loved hearing the messages and special music from the great historic

Moody Church.

~J

35 Years Ago

On Tuesday, Glenn and I celebrated our 35th Class Reunion from Moody Bible Institute.

After our afternoon session, there was no doubt as to where we would eat dinner together.

Gino's.  

Not Gino's East - too far to walk, however, we walked down to the Gino's just several blocks from campus and we did some more reminiscing.

Or course there was no arguing.

 Deep Dish

Sausage.

 Can't get better than this.

We all got each other's email addresses and vowed to stay in touch.  And to come back in 2018 for our 40th class reunion.

God bless the school that DL Moody founded.
~J

George Beverly Shea 104 Years

George Beverly Shea turns 104 today.

He received a Grammy Life Time Achievement Award several years ago.

Wow!

Check out this Youtube video.

I remember listening to his voice over the PA system at Bible Memory Association Camp back in the 1970's.  And then in 2002, I worked with his son and daughter-in-law, Kathy, while working for the BGEA team and the Dallas Billy Graham Crusade (Metroplex Mission).

Read more about George Beverly Shea.

Happy Birthday, Bev.  

You have blessed many people's hearts and lives.
 God's eye is on the sparrow, and we know He watches (over) you.
~J

SETECA

SETECA (Seminario Teológico Centroamericano), known in English as CATS (Central American Theological Seminary), is installing a new rector (president).

 Carlos López will be officially taking on his new position of leadership on February 1st during the installation service.

 When I think of SETECA, I immediately think of great schools like Moody Bible Institute or Dallas Seminary.  SETECA is that well known in Latin America and has served it's student body which comes from around the globe.  They come from such places as El Salvador, Mexico, Argentina, US, Spain and even Bolivia.

 The Seminary holds a special place in my heart.  Although I am not a student or even an alumni of this great school, it was back in 1972 when I traveled here to Guatemala on a high school work team and we painted dorm rooms, moved books from the old library to the new library and rubbed shoulders with the students and the missionaries.

 It was here that I got my missionary calling.  It gives me great joy to think that I am back living and serving in Guatemala, where it all started.  I am blessed.

Please pray for Carlos and his administration. Pray for the students as they prepare for ministry, for many as they receive their call to worldwide missionary service.

Manuela

Quite often when we are visiting Panajachel, we drive over to San Antonio Palopó to Nancy's shop.

There is a little girl that has the most precious smile.  Manuela.  We've seen her grow up over the years.

We were quite surprised, when driving along the Vista Hermosa Blvd, we came across a Pollo Campero Billboard that had a photo of Manuela.

Many times we have taken many friends and co-workers to Nancy's shop, where Manuela works.  We have shared the gospel in a number of different ways. One time she was given a Gospel of John and she began to read aloud...went on and on...what a blessing.

Check out a 2012 post about Manuela.

{photo taken Jan '12}

{photo taken Nov '12}

Manuela has a beautiful and genuine smile.

Agua Volcano View from the City Dump

Coffee Anyone?

 Its coffee season.   We have a tree in our front yard that has been producing quite a crop.   The process is simple but it is time consuming.

Taking the outer shell off and cleaning the coffee beans.

These are called "grapes" before the seeds are extracted from the outer shell.

Next we dry the beans out in the sun. Then another layer of hull has to be removed.

It is sort of the way God works with us. It is a simple process but it takes a long time. Layers have to be removed to get down to the real you. Basking in the SON for a long time is part of the process. And, in the end we are sometimes put through a mill or a press to be ready to serve.

MeeMaw

MeeMaw

MeeMaw is Janie's mother.  We have known MeeMaw as long as we have known Janie - 33 years.  MeeMaw had a quiet and sweet spirit about her.  She loved me and and loved my precious family.  

30 years ago, Glenn put Ellen in a special carry seat and rode his bicycle from our house in Grand Prairie to MeeMaw's house in Dallas. This was in the middle of the summer with 100+ degree weather.  MeeMaw got aggitated at Glenn.  Later on in life as her memory was fading, she never forgot this particular story.  She would always remind us, even 30 years later.

{2008 - taken at Karen's Bridal Shower} 

MeeMaw passed away early this morning, January 22, 2013

We love you MeeMaw!

~J

Happy Anniversary

Happy 33 Years

Together

Glenn and Judy

January 19, 1980

Several years ago, I posted a number of pictures on my blog.

Click here to see more.

Family shots

Bridal Party

The Cake

The Church

FB and Moody Connection

I just love how the Lord puts stuff together.  Let me explain.

Last Tuesday, I check my FB "newsfeed" and noticed that Eric, former MBI Alumni office employee who I knew several years ago, now living in NH, was making a mission trip to Guatemala.  I quickly texted him saying, "You know we live in Guatemala, do you need a place to stay?"

During their long Dallas layover, I suggested the Wednesday enchilada special at El Fenix. (BTW, they loved it)

 The small team stayed with us on their way to Zacapa and on their return.

I'm so glad to have made this reconnection too!

Antigua

This is one of my favorite paintings.

Beauty

Christmas Keeps Coming

Normally we have our Christmas tree down and put away by this time each year, {except for in 1998, we had the tree up from October - February, just ask my kids about that}.  Just this week, we got our first batch of Christmas cards that had arrived at my parents house in Dallas and also at our home office, Camino Global, in Dallas.

There were about 10 cards. 

But I'm sure I'll get more as we go through the month of January and even into February.

 So, we still have our Christmas Tree up.

Rest assured we'll take it down this week-end even though I am use to receiving Christmas cards into as late as February.

  The Hopper family holds the record. We received a card from them in Bolivia that was mailed in December and arrived the following September.  

10 months. :)
~J

Summer Intern Jobs

 Camino Global has 6 week internship projects that are available for 2013.

Emerge 2013

Check it out.

~J

Flower that looks like a Pine Cone

 I call these flowers Torches, but they really look like a huge pine cones. 
It's really a Ginger plant.  Hmmm
They are my favorite, and I noticed that they were growing up by our fireplace in the flowerbed.

~J

Happy 50th Anniversary to Murphys

On Sunday, Glenn and I, along with Marievelia drove the 45 minutes to the 8:30am morning service of the Alpha y Omega Church in Chimaltenango.  This was a special service, participated in by most of the Murphys as a way to honor the 50 year anniversary of Clyde and Edith.
 

We were handed a Bible bookmark to celebrate the occasion.

The 4 Murphy children and their spouses sang a special number. David gave the message.

click here to see a video of their special song 
"Find us Faithful"

The Murphy Family

Clyde and Edith have served the Lord faithfully for many years.  They are genuine people.  They are musicians and teachers.  As mechanic and nurse, they can fix anything.  They are dear folks and we wish them 50 more years of wedded bliss together.

Happy 50th Anniversary!

Purple it Is