L.O. is currently in Livingston, Guatemala on the Carribbean coast. We got to Puerto Barrios on late saturday afternoon…and the blessings came forth like you would not believe!
Gary & Nancy Lengkeek are two AIM missionaries that we all hooked up with in Antigua, and they had a contact with a lady named Doña Gladys in Puerto Barrios. We got to P.B. and went to Doña Gladys’ house (doña is a name of respect. like madam maybe. i assume it’s along the same lines as sir for guys maybe) and she blessed us with a huge meal of spaghetti with some sweetness to it, canteloupe, bread & pineapple. Within probably a half hour her daughter-in-law (Vivian) and Mildred (who is not a daughter in law, but somekind of in-law) who are both fluent English speakers were over at the house and helping us to communicate with doña gladys.
We then find out that some of us (ended up just being the girls for now) would be staying at Mildred’s house. And Mildred lives right on the bay with a sweet little cabana thing on the water and a pool and internet!
this is the cabana. Josh, clinton & I were out there first and were blown away. Josh and I have been talking about how we love to just play some basketball and minister through that. And just down the shoreline maybe 100 yards, there was a full basketball court with teenagers playing on it.
We went to three church services at Iglesia del Nazareno, and they all were extremely welcoming. We introduced ourselves a little on Saturday night, Josh gave his testimony last night, and yesterday (sunday)morning the girls helped with a kids program and us guys talked for a little bit about our trip and some things we’ve been learning so far to the teenagers/adult sunday school class. I liked talking to them about that stuff. And again we were blessed to have a great translator named Jose.
the sunday school class
Josh giving his testimony on Sunday night.
Sunday afternoon they (Mildred, Vivian and her husband Walter, and doña Gladys) had a barbecue for us all and we played in the pool and napped on the cabana.
Josh playing with little Gladys (Mildred’s daughter) in the pool.
Walter has twice taken us guys to McDonald’s, and they bought us all ice cream last night and took us to a park on the bay.
this one is Joy at the park.
I feel and fear that this is becoming a common theme, but please pray for me. I am still not very excited or passionate about this trip and what I’m here for, and it’s getting kind of annoying. I’m just . . . not all there, and I don’t know why. I am seeking God and his purpose for me on this trip and trying to be patient with it. I have finally been consistent for a couple weeks now with spending time with Him every morning. . . I am praying a lot . . . I’m out traveling the world and taking pictures (which I’ve wanted to do exactly that for a few years) and supposedly am ministering and spreading Jesus’ love (which is something else that I know I have a heart for and a passion for). . . but yet I am still not joyful or full of life or full of passion for what I am doing. . . and I often cannot stop thinking about being back in Japan and establishing a life there and learning the language . . . or Young Life and wanting to do so much more with ministering through that . . . I even think about Sweden and my time there and how I want to be there. . . I am usually fascinated by languages and learning the local language of where I am. . . but not on this trip so far for some reason.
. . . so I just don’t understand why I am this way and why I am here.
Pray for me please.
STAY TUNED. . . . for stories, pictures of Livingston. . .
