on our way home

we're off tomorrow morning. we still don't have marta alicia's visa, we will get that in the morning. please continue to pray us home, that there will be no more mistakes in her paperwork and for comfort for her broken heart. she is doing well and grieving well, but it is very hard. thank you!

Wednesday/Thursday

I didn't get to post yesterday and I don't have much time tonight. Yesterday was a hard day. Today was better. Lots of emotions, but we seem to be weathering them.

We didn't go on the activity yesterday. We hung around the school, did some studying, Marta Alicia took a nap and we ended up at Pollo Campero again (I'm starting a "No More Chicken" campaign!). Today we had school and then went swimming all afternoon. It was the prettiest day yet here. Very warm and very few clouds. After swimming we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant, which was very enjoyable. They make the most delicious fruit and milk drinks, like a light shake, only better. :)

Tonight we planned a party for Saturday night with Marta Alicia's foster family. It will be a "thank you" party as well as one to celebrate Vilma's and Fidel's birthdays. It was really fun to plan and hopefully will be even more fun to implement.

Well, off to bed. Lots of packing to do tomorrow and then we head to Panajachel, which is a two hour drive from here (if there isn't traffic or construction). The town is on a crater lake surrounded by 3 volcanoes. Clearly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. We'll meet Marta Alicia's foster family there and play for the weekend until Sunday afternoon. Please keep this in your prayers as it will be challenging (linguistically and emotionally) for all. I may not have a chance to update anymore before we come home, but if I can, I will.

I added a picture of the Volcano puffing a little smoke yesterday morning and Tim with the "kids" (I love writing that!) at the restaurant after dinner (picture Marta Alicia asleep on Tim's head with her hair hanging down in his face-very funny!).

P.S. I went to the eye doctor today. I'm on my third eye medication. Still have blurry vision in my right eye. Hopefully, this will help. I'll see my opthomologist when I get home on Tuesday to check things out further. Love to all!

Tuesday

Today was much like yesterday. We went to school in the morning and swam and played on the playground in the afternoon. For dinner we went to a restaurant in Antigua and stopped for ice cream on the way home. In between we've been doing our homework. I'm really enjoying learning even more this time. I am able to understand more conversation and communicate more clearly. I have a long way to go, but as Mom would say, the more I learn the more places I have to tuck information. Wish you were here, Mom! I really miss you!

The more I get to know Marta Alicia the more I see that she is just wired for joy! She just gravitates toward laughing, smiling, teasing, fun and affection. When things are hard, the tears are plentiful, but she welcomes comfort and is open to reason. Even as I've been writing this she's snuck up on me three times to tickle me and snuggle. She really is fun and funny. Okay, make that four, I guess I'd better go. :)

Earthquake or erruption? or both?

The excitement began last night just as we all got tucked into bed. Marta Alicia had fallen asleep while I was reading her last book. Caleb was in his bed finishing his last book by flashlight. Tim and I were laying in bed chatting when the window beside me started shaking violently. At first I wondered if a big truck had just passed the house, but then the bed started to shake. As we jumped out of bed and yelled for Caleb we felt the house starting to sway. We grabbed Marta Alicia who was just waking up in a fright. At first we just huddled under the door jam but then decided it was strong enough to get out. We ran out onto the porch as it began to subside. We found our other housemates there as well. We were all a bit shaken (pun intended), Marta Alicia was crying and Caleb couldn't stop talking, lol! I guess we all have our own reaction to fear!



This morning we learned that there was a 6.2 earthquake on the coast. In addition, one of our house-mates saw the nearby volcano, which normally just puffs smoke, glowing red in the night last night. Today, ash has been falling and the volcano is covered with it. So, I guess you can say we had a little taste of both. It is at times like these that we realize that our very breath is a gift from God. We are very grateful to be able to "write home" about it! :)

Monday

We had another great day school. To my surprise, Marta Alicia and Caleb each had their old teachers from December. I was pleased to see pages of writing in Caleb's book, not pages of draw battles! He even has homework! Marta Alicia practiced things like, "Mom, I'm hungry." and "Mom, I'm thirsty." A wee bit more functional than "Good morning" and "Good afternoon". :)

After a wonderful lunch of chicken and rice (I got the recipe, now I'll just need a little help from Ashley to execute it!) we went to the pool at a nearby hotel. When we got there, we had the pool to ourselves. Soon there were a few others, and one young girl about Marta Alicia's age asked her to play. That was cool! We swam until we were freezing, had a snack of hot dogs and fries (MA will have a rude awakening when she gets home to OUR kitchen!) and then we played on the playground. We were all pretty exhausted when we finished. We walked back home via the market with Marta Alicia fast asleep on Tim's shoulders again. While I ran in for some groceries Tim and the kids waited outside. When I emerged they told me they had just bumped into four people from Maine who are in Guatemala with Safe Passage, a ministry that is based out of Portland, Maine! :)

After a supper of grilled cheese, fruit and yogurt we're winding down. Caleb and Marta Alicia are watching Peter Pan. I finally confiscated the game of Uno after listening to them bicker one time too many. Nothing like tired crabby kids! Ha! They're doing better just watching the movie together. I think we'll all sleep well tonight.

Thanks for your prayers about my bronchitis and eye infection. I had stopped taking the anti-inflammatory because the pain had subsided, but I realized that was a mistake. It's feeling a lot better now that I've started taking it again. Time will tell if the infection is abating--it's still pretty bloodshot. My lungs are improving slowly as well.

I'll post a few pictures of the kids at the pool and the playground. It was another fun day!

Sunday

Today was a mello day. Every time I'm here I hope we can attend church somewhere, but so far I haven't been successful in finding out where one is or how to get there. So, we went out to breakfast in town and then bought a few books at a small bookstore. The bulk of the day was spent hanging out at the apartment, doing laundry, playing in the garden, doing a craft, watching movies, etc. I was able to access Rosetta Stone via our home library online and set Marta Alicia up to learn English. We did 3 1/2 lessons and she had repeated a few sentences in English before we were through. :)

Tonight we went out to dinner to, guess where? Yup, Pollo Campero. It's hard to beat the playground to keep hungry tired kids busy while the food cooks. At least this time we had pizza instead of chicken. We've been eating lots of mangoes, papaya, manzanas (oops, apples) and bananas in between meals, so at least we're getting a little fiber! After I finish this we're going to read our new books for awhile and then head to bed. We bought a Bible story book, Dr. Suess and some other award winning story in Spanish, which should be good practice for me and fun for Marta Alicia. In the meantime, the troops are watching a few minutes of the Red Sox beating the Yankees (whohooo!)! Are you watching, Mimi? :) Love to all!

Saturday

I was glad we didn't have school today as I woke up with Bronchitis and a nasty eye infection. We went to the pharmacy this morning and got some saline solution and antibiotic drops. I layed down and slept for 3 1/2 hours. When I woke up my eye was MUCH worse, so we headed off to the nearest hospital, which was only about 2 blocks away. That was an experience! We walked into this dark building with a courtyard. I told the woman at the desk I had something wrong with my eye and she pointed me in the direction of the emergency room. We rounded the corner and saw three chairs lined up against the wall. We waited in the dark hall for a couple of minutes until the doctor came, turned on the light in the "emergency room" and I followed him in. It was truly just a room with a desk and one bed. We talked, he examined my eye, gave me two prescriptions (different antibiotic cream and a pain killer) and then we walked back to the front desk where we paid our bill--150 quetzales, or about $20. All that in about 15 minutes flat! We had even brought drinks and snacks and games to play in case it took a while. What a nice surprise not to need them!

After we got home Tim took off to the pharmacy again. He had to go to 2 different ones to get both meds. He did a great job putting the stuff in my eye and then he took off with the kids to Pollo Campero again and the market. Being sick is the LAST thing I expected or wanted to be on this trip, but it has given more bonding opportunities for Marta Alicia and Tim. It's fun to watch Marta Alicia run and jump on Tim and laugh and giggle and kiss him! When we were walking back from the pharmacy Tim had her on his shoulders. By the time we arrived back at the school, she had put her head down on his head and was fast asleep! Tim didn't realize it until he went to get her down and she was completely limp! It was so sweet! The other benefit to being sick has been to see Marta Alicia's tenderness towards me--another good "bonding" sign. :)

Working on this has given some time for the pain meds to kick in (I have no idea what it is I'm taking!) so I'm feeling MUCH better. Thanks for all of your prayers and feedback. It's so great to feel so supported and loved!