Orphan Outreach #2

During our 2 days with Orphan Outreach, we

Made silly faces with silly glasses

Played hand games

Twisted balloons

Colored together

and gave

lots of hugs

Read more about Orphan Outreach

It was also fun to reconnect with Cindy, Hanna and Sara E.

~J

Orphan Outreach in Guatemala - #1 {Gaby}

Meet Gaby. Another Gaby in Haley's life.  This Gaby was a precious gal that clung onto Haley all afternoon.  Sweet gal.  And to think Haley has another Gaby in her life.  A friend from school.

Last week, we connected up with Orphan Outreach (Mother-Daughter) trip to Orphanages here in Guatemala.  We were able to minister with them on their 3rd and 4th Day in Quetzaltenango.

Check out the Orphan Outreach web site to read more about our time in Xela.

~ Judy

World Cup Fever

World Cup Fever - visiting the local Paiz Grocery Store, we noticed that they already have balloons, and soccer balls every where.  There are posters of all the countries who have teams in the World Cup.

Alemania is "Germany" in the Spanish language

 Soccer Balls all around the store.

~J

Not My Type

Typing Lessons 101 - Besides all the service projects that Haley and Molly are doing here in Guatemala, we are giving them the opportunity to take typing lessons.  We're using the goodtyping.com format.  So, every little bit of free time, they are practicing.

As soon as the girls get a handle on typing, then we can move on to more fun stuff.

We soon learned that the finger nails needed to be cut.

Thanks for praying for the girls and their exposure to missions. Yesterday and today, they've spent time helping with a Soccer Clinic up at Centennial Camp.  They're having a blast and falling in love with the cute Guatemalan kids.  You say "Soccer", and the Marshall girls shine!!!!


~J

A visit from Haley and Molly

They were on the first flight from DFW to GUA since Pacaya blew 8 days earlier on Thursday night, May 27th.  Our nieces, Haley and Molly arrived. And we were not even there to pick them up. Glenn was making a quick hospital run with the Conner family ~ good enough excuse, I guess.  Our friends, Maria and Johnny  held up a make shift sign with their names on it, searching for them at the airport.  {We told the girls to be flexible}

We have a fun packed ministry week with the girls.  Yesterday, we visited with the Foote family in Santiago.  The Foote kids enjoyed the afternoon swim in Lake Atitlán.  Titus showed us the crab he caught.  Oh my.

Haley and Molly are both helping out a Soccer team from the states lead a soccer clinic at Centennial Camp these next two days.  More experiences to come.

~J

Volcano Pacaya and Tropical Storm Agatha

A ROUGH WEEK FOR GUATEMALA   - (click on the underline link to see some spectacular photos)

A week ago the local volcano, Pacaya, blew, throwing thousands of tons of ash into the air.  I read some place that there were equivalent to 20 football fields of ash that have been gathered just in the city alone of Guatemala City.

(photo courtesy of D Stoddard)

About the same time as the Volcano eruption, Guatemala was hit with the Tropical Storm, Agatha.  Many, many roads and bridges have been washed out.  Homes and crops have been washed down the river.

Everyone made it off the bus alive.

(photo courtesy of D Foote)

~J

Schools Out

School is now out until August for the CAM missionary kids. The Guatemalan schools run from January - October.  However, the Guatemalan City schools are out ALL week because of major clean up in the city from the Volcano eruption and the rains from Tropical Storm Agatha.

 We  attended the Elementary End of the year Awards Ceremony.  Way to go Lydia C.

Way to go Josh A.

~J

Graduation, Good Cake, Great Friends

After graduation*, Gary, Glenn and I drove to visit our wonderful friends, Scott and Carol.  What dear people and encouragers!  Scott and Carol have been life long friends since 1992 when we called them up asking for accommodations in La Paz, Bolivia. 

We have enjoyed Scott's teaching at Field Conferences in Bolivia, home assignments and now most recently here in Guatemala.  We've traveled on vacations together, endured a 36 hour bus ride from Arica to Santiago, Chile, Whitewater Rafted together and even have gone "letter-boxing" together.  Scott and Carol have been special friends and always give words of encouragement.  They choose wise words and know just want to ask.  Scott has a contagious laugh while Carol has never met a stranger.  She tenderly whispers to us "I love you guys" and she really means it.   

.

Folks from Wildwood ordered a Graduation Cake for us to celebrate with.  What fun!

We had a great time of "brainstorming" ideas of how Wildwood might participate in the ministry of CAM in Guatemala.  We look forward to fanning the flames of those ideas.

*Sorry, I had 1 more "post" about graduation!

~J

Tropical Storm Agatha

near Patzún

Tropical Storm Agatha

Thursday night, Volcano Pacaya explodes sending ash and debris up into the air.  Friday morning we wake up to 1/4 inch of ash everywhere.  Clean up time.  Flights are canceled in and out of GUA Aurora Airport for several days.


Then the rains begin.  Tropical Storm Agatha is dumping rain here in Guatemala City and the countryside.

Now we are beginning to see photos of the effects of this storm.

Tormenta Agatha San Lucas Tolimán, Sololá

This is Ave. Batres Zone 12 and 54th Street

~J

Lava Ash on AA

Note: lava ash on the top of the 737
and ash on the wings

AA2195 was the last flight into Guatemala Aurora International Airport on Thursday night, arriving just after 7pm.  Other flights were diverted to nearby San Salvador, El Salvador, just a 4 hour drive from here.  All flights were canceled in and out of the Guatemala City airport on Friday and Saturday and today, Sunday, as airport personnel continue the major clean up after the Thursday late afternoon Pacaya Volcano eruption.

The big question is, "When will the Aurora airport re-open?"  We noticed that AA's flights are canceled through Monday.  It is very important to sweep up all the lava ash off the runway.  Its a tricky runway to begin with and ash would make it even more challenging as well as destructive to the engines.

Check here to read articles about Pacaya 

http://www.sigloxxi.com/pulso.php?id=11826

More later 

~J

Cleaning Up After Pacaya Volcano

Beauty in the Ash.  As Glenn was cleaning the patio, driveway and road in front of our house, I noticed there were simple flowers caked with the volcanic ash.  Still  beautiful.

Residents of Guatemala City were urged not to just wash the ash down the street into the gutters, rather, pack up the ash and place them in large garbage bags.  I noticed this sidewalk full of ash bags.

Today, Saturday, May 29th, we have had a steady flow of rain showers through the night, this will help clean the ash off the streets.  

I believe the Guatemala City Aurora International Airport is still closed and should reopen in the next few days.  Our 2 nieces (Haley and Molly) are still scheduled to fly down on Tuesday, June 1st for their 2 week missionary adventure here in Guatemala.


More later
~J

Black Snow

The streets are covered with Black Snow - this after the Pacaya Volcano erupted late yesterday afternoon.

The entrance to SETECA - photos courtesy of David S

Glenn has been cleaning up the patio, driveway and stuff around our house.  Here are more photos.

What a mess.  The black ash was so heavy, that as Glenn was sweeping, the handle to the broom broke.




~J