The Coreano Family Blog

On The Move Again!

2011-08-01T20:28:00.003-06:00

I can’t believe it has been a year since our last post! We have so much to share as God has once again got us on the move. So, let’s start at the beginning…

Since Enrique returned from Africa in April 2010, we have been seriously praying and seeking God’s will for our future. Since we got married 8 years ago, we knew God had called us to serve Him in ministry together. During the past 3 years, Enrique has been serving God full time through the Salvation Army in St. Paul, MN. Although, Chrissie has joined in and served as she was able, she continued to work full time as a nurse. We knew God had equipped us and called us to serve Him as a team and therefore spent countless hours, days, and months seeking His will for our lives. During our time with the Salvation Army, we have seen God use a variety of methods, settings, and people to share the love of Christ to the world whether that is in an inner city, small town, or overseas. So, after several months of prayer, we realized that God has been gently leading us to full time ministry together as officers in the Salvation Army.

This past January, we began the process of applying for full time ministry with the Salvation Army. It has been exciting to see God continue to lead us and provide in big ways each step of the way. Although, we were unsure of the timing, God knew it all along. In May, we were accepted as officer candidates by the Salvation Army and trusted God with all the details. To become a Salvation Army officer, you are required to attend a 22 month training college in Chicago which begins each August. During this time of training, they prepare you to serve in a variety of ministry settings including inner city, suburban, social services, disaster relief, and cross-cultural ministry. Some of this, we have already done and been trained in and some of it will be completely new to us. Since we both have already attended Bible College and have ministry experience, they will not make us repeat courses, but rather give us opportunities to further our education and experiences by partnering with a Bible college and local Chicago area Salvation Army ministries.

So, what does this all mean??? We are moving to Chicago on August 19th!!! We put our house up for sale, we are selling many of our belongings, we resigned from our current jobs, and we are busy packing. The training college is located a few blocks from Wrigley Field and Lake Michigan! Our new baby girl, who is due on September 24th, will be born in Chicago and our beloved dog, Penny, is moving to New York to live with Enrique’s parents during the 22 month training period. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the training college apartments… When the training is over, our ultimate desire is to return to overseas ministry, but we will wait and trust God with our first assignment.

We would love for you to partner with us in prayer during this transition time and throughout our ministry with the Salvation Army. We look forward to hearing from many of you. We will begin to update our blog regularly once again as we move back into full time ministry as a family!

Stuck in Africa

2010-04-17T18:59:00.003-06:00

Who knew that a volcano erupting in Iceland would prevent Enrique from returning home from Africa today... But, that is exactly what has happened. So, Enrique is stuck in Africa. Don't worry, he is safe and being well cared for, but his family is ready for him to return. I have had very few contacts with him since he left. Overall, I believe he had a great time on the trip and I have heard brief reports of God working through the team. I am anxious for his return, but only God knows at this point when that will be. We are praying and hopeful that he will return this week. The team has not been able to get a flight scheduled out of Africa yet, but we are hopeful and waiting... Keep praying for the team as many have obligations and family back here in the USA. Also, pray that God would use this time as well. I will keep you updated.

*Chrissie

Woe, Ghana

2010-04-05T07:45:00.003-06:00

Enrique has been busy preparing for his mission trip to Woe, Ghana with the Salvation Army. He leaves this Friday, April 9th and returns on April 17th. The team consists of 22 people from all over the Twin Cities. They will be working with a local Salvation Army church in Woe doing a VBS, a literacy project, and completing a roof on their church building. This church has been waiting to complete the roof on their building for the past 30 years. How exciting to get to be a part of it!

Please pray for Enrique and the team as they prepare this week and during their time in Ghana. Specifically, pray for safe travel, that everyone stays healthy, that relationships would be built with the local church, and that the team would be an encouragement and help to the local believers. Also, pray for God to use this time to give some guidance and clarity to both of us as we look towards a future in full time ministry together once again.

Catch up again...

2010-01-30T15:11:00.007-06:00

I really mean to update this more than once a season, I just don't know where the time goes... I wish I could say winter was already over, but I think we still have a few months to go. So much has been happening in our lives lately, that it is hard to try to catch up on everything. But, here are some pictures to try to fill in the blanks.

We went camping over labor day weekend and had a great time! Wish we could have gone more often during the summer.

We found this great bike at a consignment sale right before it got cold outside. Marissa had a good time learning to ride her new bike!

Marissa dressed up twice for Halloween. She was Annie at her preschool.

And a pirate for trick or treating. Too bad it was so cold on Halloween night that we only made it to one house...

We have a park a few blocks from our house with a sliding hill. We all had a fun time!

I have been teaching a Sunday School class at our church over the past several months. It has been amazing to see God work through this group of women. We started out with 3 people in the class and it has grown to 8-10 women on average. God is truly changing lives. We had a Christmas party at our house and it was a great time for all. There were over 20 some people packed into our house, not including us... What a night!

Enrique has been given the opportunity to go on a Salvation Army mission trip in April. He will be going to Woe, Ghana. God has really been using the last few months as a time of reflection for both Enrique and myself. Pray for us as we try to follow God in all we do. Stay tuned. More details to come!

Is summer really over?

2009-09-02T20:14:00.007-06:00

We can't believe September is already here. The weather is already getting cool and it feels like fall is right around the corner. Oh, who are we kidding, winter is probably right around the corner for us here in MN. So, we figured we better catch everyone up on our summer fun before the first snow flakes begin to fall...

Yes, this is a summer picture! Marissa is enjoying the park while Enrique is playing softball.

Marissa hanging out in the Hot Tub with her cousins

4th Of July Fireworks! Marissa is having more fun trying to squeeze herself into a bag designed for a camping chair.

We found some incredibly cheap tickets and were able to spend a long weekend in Texas (perhaps better known as the promise land for you native Texans) visiting our good friends Allison and Drew before they move to Germany for 3 years. We are going to miss them, but we definitely won't miss the summer heat of Texas! The above picture is of Horseshoe Bay a beautiful resort where we spent one of our nights!

A close up of our friends, Drew, Allison, Lizzy, and Anna Claire.

Marissa lounging in the pool!

Marissa and Anna Claire playing at the beach.

Marissa loved baby Lizzy. Ever since we got home, Marissa has been praying that a baby would start to grow in mommy's tummy and we can name her Lizzy. So, we will see what happens.

We loved Pollo Campero when we lived in Guatemala, so when we found out there was one in Texas, we had to stop in for some of our favorite chicken.

Marissa and Anna Claire took a little while to warm up to each other, but they were friends by the end of the weekend.

What a great summer!

New Job!

2009-08-11T07:09:00.002-06:00

I am so excited to announce that I will be starting a new job in a few weeks! As many of you know, it was a difficult transition for me when we moved back from Guatemala for many reasons. One of them was the necessity for me to return to hospital nursing. My schedule at the hospital was not very family friendly and it made it very difficult for me to find time to minister alongside of Enrique as my schedule was constantly changing.

After a lot of prayer, God has provided me with a new job as a school nurse. This will be a huge change for me and challenging as I learn my new responsibilities. I am so excited to have a normal schedule with daytime hours. No weekends or holidays!!! It also allows me to be off during the summer which is Enrique's busiest time due to summer daycamp. I can't wait to be able to spend more time in ministry again with my husband. Please pray for a smooth transition for us during this time.

-Chrissie

Spring, Easter, and Vacation

2009-06-09T12:55:00.006-06:00

Pictures sometimes tell a better story, so here are some to enjoy!

We set up our hot tub after the snow finally melted in April!

Marissa colored the Easter eggs all by herself.
We watched our cousins dog for a week and now Marissa wants another puppy!
We traveled to Florida for Titi Julie's wedding and Marissa was excited to be the flower girl.
Marissa and Titi Julie after the wedding.Marissa loved the beach and spending time with her abuela.
We visited old and new friends.

Went on a short Disney cruise.
And were so tired at the end, we could sleep anywhere and we did!

Marissaism's

2009-04-10T08:10:00.002-06:00

Lately, Marissa has been saying the funniest things.

Marissa has a great memory. She likes to talk about things that we did yesterday, last month, and even last year. She starts every story with, "Last week..." It sure makes last week a very busy week! I guess her sense of time is not quite as accurate as her memory.

Last week, Marissa was starting to fall asleep on the couch. Suddenly, she sat straight up and said, "Mommy, something is falling out of my mouth." I quickly reassured her and we had our first conversation about drool.

Yesterday at preschool the kids did an Easter egg hunt and each egg was filled with a symbol of the Easter story like nails that can make a cross or a stone etc. Well, Marissa was busy explaining everything to us this morning over breakfast. We were so proud of our young Bible scholar as she accurately explained the Easter story until right at the end. She was just finishing up and telling us that, "Jesus is in heaven with his Father. His father is God. Jesus is the Son and he is very hot." We immediately realized that she thinks Jesus is the SUN not the Son...

Aren't kids fun!!!

Little Orphan Annie

2009-03-25T08:10:00.004-06:00

Marissa loves the movie Annie. She has watched it too many times to count and can act out almost any scene word for word. Recently, a great friend of ours sewed an Annie dress for Marissa and sent it our way. Oh my goodness, this was the best gift ever! Marissa wears the dress all the time. Although, I think Enrique and I are getting a little tired of being Mrs. Hannigan and Daddy Warbucks...
"Annie & Sandy"

Good Friends

2009-02-07T15:39:00.005-06:00

Isn't it great to have good friends. I sure think so. My friend Natalie, from high school, is here with her daughter Megan visiting us for a week. It is so fun to just hang out, talk, let the girls play, and relax. I was able to rearrange my work schedule to have all the time off with them. Natalie has started a home based business as an independent consultant with Arbonne and after looking into the opportunity I believe that this could be a good business for me as well. So, she is here helping me launch my new business. I am praying that this will give me the freedom that I so desire in my life. I guess I will have to wait and see.

*Chrissie

Catch Up Time

2009-01-22T11:46:00.020-06:00

We have a lot of catching up to do, so let's get started. Don't worry we did not freeze up here although some of the temps have been at 25 degrees below 0. So, where do we start....

Our biggest news is that we bought a house!
It is nothing fancy or huge, but it is our home and we love it. The process of finding and buying a home was not easy or simple, but God definitely protected us along the way and led us to this home. We have plenty of space and room to grow in the future... We moved in during the 2nd week of December and had everything unpacked in time for Christmas. We are looking forward to making this our home for as long as God keeps us here. If anyone is in the area, make sure you give us a call, we would love to have you stay with us.

Marissa had fun dressing up for her 1st Halloween. Of course she had to be Cinderella and loved every minute of it. She got to dress up for daycare during the day and then we visited her grandparents and aunt and uncle at night. We all had a great time!

Let it Snow...

The snow just keeps falling this winter. We were all very excited when the first snow fell. Marissa finally got to practice making snow angels outside. We have tried sledding, tubing, and ice skating or should I say boot skating. We are enjoying the winter. We also figured out really quick that shoveling is not that much fun. Our driveway is long, too long. We are looking at buying a snow blower, but want to wait to get one on sale. So, it will be shoveling for a little bit longer for us.

Ministry Update:

Enrique's work at the Salvation Army is going great. It was exciting to see how God provided just enough funds at just the right time through the Kettle campaign during Christmas. It made both of us take time to remember that God is bigger than the economy. It was one of those times that renewed our faith and trust in God. Enrique is finally getting to focus more of his time and energy towards outreach in the Hispanic community. We are both looking forward to seeing God work through this new outreach. The after school program is going well and the kids are enjoying a walk through the Bible. We have begun a new Bible study called The Truth Project at church and love it! Chrissie is also starting to teach a new teen/young adult Sunday School class this Sunday. She is excited to finally have a place to minister alongside Enrique. She is also looking for a new job as a school nurse. We feel that this move will allow Chrissie the freedom she needs to commit more time and energy working with Enrique during his special winter & summer camps. So pray for us as we continue to minister here in St. Paul. Pray that the outreach to the Hispanic community will be fruitful.

We hoped you enjoyed the update. We hope to send out a similar update via email that will include our new contact information as well.

Talk to you soon...

WE ARE BACK!

2009-01-13T12:08:00.003-06:00

Hi Everyone,

We finally got internet access in our home! Yes, it is shocking that it took us almost a year to hook up internet here in the good old USA... So we will post an update within the next day or so.

Looking forward to reconnecting with everyone.

Summer Camp at the SAL

2008-08-28T20:18:00.004-06:00

I don't even know how to begin... I realize it has been a very long time since I have shared about my new ministry here in St. Paul. What an adjustment this has been with a steep learning curve over the past several months.

Summer Day Camp has just ended and it was my first time ever directing and organizing such a venture. 10 weeks, 45 kids on average, ages K-6th grade, & 6 staffers. These are the stats, yet they hardly begin to describe the challenges and joys that I experienced during the summer. Each week was spent focused on a different Biblical attribute such as trust, love, & forgiveness. The weeks flew by as we traveled all over the Twin Cities doing such activities as swimming, visiting museums, and playing at waterparks.

Although, the weeks flew by, sometimes the days dragged on. Yet, it was the small things that kept me going and reinforced the reason why I am here in the first place. One example of this was when 3 girls sat down with me and began asking me what the book of Genesis meant or why do we have communion? This is why I am here! To share Jesus with kids that otherwise might not have the chance to hear.

Keep praying for me as the new school year begins and I start up the After School Program again. Also, pray that I can begin to reach out to the large surrounding Hispanic community.

-Enrique

Marissa's hair

2008-07-06T21:19:00.004-06:00

For all of you out there that had doubts as to whether Marissa's hair would ever start to grow... Well, it finally started!

Summer Storms

2008-06-15T19:00:00.001-06:00

Summer has finally arrived here in MN, yes a little late, but it is in full swing. One thing that we are not used to yet are the summer storms. We are not used to hearing the tornado warning siren go off and watching the hail come pouring down. These storms are forceful and scary. We have watched on the news as several people in surrounding communities has lost their homes and loved ones as a result of these storms. So, we thank God for keeping us safe and we pray for those whose lives have changed forever.

A Little Gift

2008-04-11T20:01:00.003-06:00

I believe sometimes God just does things because He can. He did one of those things for me today. After almost two weeks of learning new policies, procedures, and computer documentation at my new job, I was finally going to begin my orientation on the maternity care unit. I was really nervous and anxious as I have been out of hospital nursing for more than 2 years. The day was going along alright, yet, I felt very overwhelmed and sad. I missed our ministry in Guatemala. I never thought I would return to hospital nursing again. I know that God led us here, but sometimes He is hard to follow. Well, the day was almost over and a new patient came into our unit. She was not my patient, but since she only spoke Spanish, the nurse assigned to her asked me to translate. I went willingly and prayed that I would be able to understand her Spanish. It turned out not to be a problem at all as she was Guatemalan and lived less than a 10 minute drive from our old home in Guatemala!!!
I don't believe in coincidences, but I do believe God gives us little gifts sometimes just because He can. And that is exactly what He did for me today.
*Chrissie

Time to Catch Up...

2008-02-29T15:25:00.006-06:00

So much has happened in the last month or so... We finally have time to sit down and catch everyone up a little on life for us.

We left Guatemala at the end of January and it was very hard to say goodbye to our home and our good friends. We cried a lot and prayed even more. We know that God led us to that point, but it was still hard to follow Him without knowing the next steps.

We were able to spend a few weeks in Florida with our family. We bought a car and Chrissie got Lasik surgery. Both went well! We traveled from Florida to South Carolina to North Carolina visiting friends and churches. It was good for us to have a chance to catch up with many friends and our churches during this time.

Then, we began our cross-country trek from Florida to Minnesota with Marissa armed with a portable DVD player, Penny (our dog) sitting in the back, and a U-Haul trailer with all our luggage. We tried to take our time driving up north and were able to stay with some friends along the way. We only ran into bad weather during our last day of travel, but God kept us safe.

We spent our first week settling into our new, very small, apartment. We both had interviews within the week and God was faithful. Last week Chrissie was offered a job as a labor & delivery nurse and Enrique was offered a ministry position with the Salvation Army in St. Paul as the Outreach Ministries Coordinator!!! The Salvation Army is very excited about our entire family being a part of the ministry. Enrique will be working in an inner city community center and responsible for all youth / family activities and outreaches.

We won't be able to start our new jobs until the end of March or the beginning of April due to paperwork, background checks etc. Continue to pray that all the paperwork goes through easily and quickly and that God will continue to meet our needs.

We want to thank everyone for your continued prayers for our family during this difficult time of transition. We will still be posting updates as God continues to use us in our new ministry.

Here is a picture of Marissa hanging out at our new apartment. Although we don't have a tub for Marissa, this is not the norm, so don't worry, she was just goofing around.

Interwoven Threads - January 2008

2008-01-15T16:32:00.000-06:00

INTERWOVEN THREADS
In Mayan culture, every fine weaving tells a story. This is our story. . .
January 2008
The Final Chapter

A New Year & A New Beginning:
Each year begins with new expectations and promises as we look towards the future. Yet, this year is beginning very differently than we had imagined. Unfortunately, RMI has suffered some losses over the past year especially in the area of US sister churches. As a result and after many months of prayer, we know that God is leading us in a new direction. Therefore, as of February 1st, we will resign from RMI and return to the United States. This has been the hardest decision of our lives, yet we are at peace with God and know that He is guiding us each step of the way. Enrique is currently pursuing new avenues of ministry as he desires to continue to work with Hispanic youth in an inner city setting. Chrissie is also pursuing available opportunities where she can use her abilities as a nurse as well as continue to partner with Enrique in ministry.

Looking Back at Guatemala:
As we look back over our time here, the one thing that we will miss the most is the people. Guatemala has become our home and we are fortunate to consider many Guatemalans family. We have seen huge changes in the church bodies that have been a part of The Sister Church Program. Pastors have grown in their knowledge of the Bible and in their desire to reach out to their communities. Church members have begun to show Christ’s love to their neighbors. And many have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We do not take credit for any of this, but rather feel privileged that God let us be a part of His work here in Guatemala. We also believe that God strategically placed other ministries in the area that will continue to teach and build up these church bodies. Although, we are overcome by sadness as we think about leaving our brothers and sisters in Christ, we know that God is with them and will continue His work among them.

Next Steps:
First of all, we want to thank each one of you for all your prayers and the financial support that you have given us. Your partnership with us and RMI in ministry has been invaluable. Please continue to pray for us over the next several months as we begin to adjust to the many changes ahead. RMI has graciously offered us severance pay through April as long as our monthly support continues. Therefore, we are asking our support team to continue their monthly giving through the month of April. Also, we wanted to remind anyone who is currently giving automatically to please notify the RMI office regarding your final gift date. Thank you again for your partnership in ministry.

May God Bless You,

Enrique, Chrissie, & Marissa Coreano

Christmas Eve a Night to Remember

2008-01-13T17:43:00.001-06:00

I know this is a little late, but we still wanted to share it with you. We spent this past Christmas here in Guatemala and what an incredible time it was. First of all, my mom and stepdad came down and spent about 10 days over Christmas here with us. It was great to have them here and they really enjoyed getting to have first hand knowledge of our everyday lives.

Christmas Eve is the big time of celebration here. The entire day and night is spent visiting with family and friends. We were able to go and visit a few of our friends homes and a few came to our home as well. When you visit someone or they visit you they give you tamales. So, we had a refrigerator full of tamales by the end of the night. The entire day was great, but the most amazing thing about the entire day happened right at midnight. Everyone and I mean everyone lights off huge fireworks from their homes. I know this is not the safest practice, but it was like nothing I have ever seen before. Imagine the best firework display you have ever seen and then imagine that you can see it everywhere you look. It truly was magnificent. Marissa was amazed by all the lights and sounds, but very quickly fell asleep on the roof with us. We are so thankful that we got to spent the holidays here with our family and friends.
-Chrissie

Dia de Gracias

2007-11-27T13:50:00.000-06:00

Who says you can't celebrate Thanksgiving in Guatemala. We just celebrated our 2nd annual Dia de Gracias with about 15 of our local friends. The food was great and everybody had a good time laughing and eating and eating and eating... We were able to use this opportunity to share with our friends the reason that we give thanks in the first place. Overall, the night was a lot of fun and it was the first time that the RMI guesthouse was used for a different kind of ministry.

The Day Has Come...

2007-11-21T15:59:00.000-06:00

We knew this day would come, but we didn't realize it would come so quickly. Marissa learned how to climb out of her pack-n-play last week. She had already started sleeping in her big kid bed during nap times, but didn't want to sleep in her bed at night. Well, last week we were traveling with a Sister Church team and Marissa did not want to nap in a normal bed. So, I put her back in her pack-n-play and within 5 minutes she had climbed out. When Enrique returned to our room, I put her back in and said, "Show daddy what you can do." This time within 10 seconds she was out of her pack-n-play. So, the pack-n-play is finally packed away for good!

Bilingual Baby

2007-11-06T17:58:00.000-06:00

Recently, I have noticed that Marissa has really started talking in two languages. She’ll say “Mami no esta,” or “Paty se fue” or “I need a hug.” She even speaks a little spanglish such as “Let’s go arriba.”

The really amazing thing for me is that she has all of a sudden started talking about random things from the past. For example, when we were in the states, Marissa and her cousin Preston watched DVD’s of the Wiggles (a kid’s show). She was enamored with them. It has now been about three weeks since they have been brought up in conversation. Two days ago she was muttering something about “wehhaa”. She kept saying “wehhaa” for almost a week. We listened attentively and tried to figure out what she wanted, yet without any luck. Finally, Chrissie, who understands Marissa’s vocabulary better, said “The Wiggles.” Marissa started jumping up and down and shouting “si” “si.” She was so excited! It was the cutest thing I had seen her do in some time. Too bad we forgot the DVD’s of ‘The Wiggles’ in the states. I guess she will just have to wait until Christmas for Grandma to bring them down.

*Enrique

Halloween Guatemalan Style

2007-11-01T17:53:00.000-06:00

As many of you may know, in Guatemala Halloween is not really celebrated in the traditional sense like us Americans with trick or treating, costumes, pumpkins, and harvest festivals. Halloween or as referred to here, ‘The Day of the Dead’ is not something that is celebrated, but rather feared. It is the night of evil before ‘All Saints Day’. Although more and more the commercialized Halloween is making its way to Guatemala; in the small aldeas the traditional views are still held and practiced. This holiday is a mixture of Catholic and Mayan traditions expressed through festivals, processionals, and visits to freshly painted grave sites with food and gifts for the dead. Some even believe that if they don’t repaint the tombstones and leave food for the dead, then their dead family will fight with them or feel as if they are no longer remembered. The days surrounding this holiday the skies are filled with kites. As innocent as this may seem, our friend Flory just told us today that these are used to send messages to the dead. Once again, I am amazed by the fear that is such a part of the culture here. How reassuring for us, as Christians, to know that we won’t spend eternity in a grave, but rather with our Lord in heaven!

On a lighter note, we celebrated the night by coloring pumpkins, eating pan de muerte, and pumpkin pie! Marissa had a good time and is still talking about her 3 little pumpkins.

Back to the Real World...

2007-10-24T15:03:00.000-06:00

We returned last Friday night after a great time of rest and relaxation with our family in Florida. We traveled to Florida to meet with RMI leadership and began to plan for the future of RMI in Guatemala. After these meetings, we spent just over 2 weeks with our family throughout Florida. It was a great time to just hang out! I think we literally drove all over the entire state. The time flew by and it is hard to adjust back to normal life again.

Here are some of our pictures!

Marissa and her cousin Amanda enjoying the parade at MGM

Marissa with her grandparents

and her cousins at a T-ball game

Marissa and her Titi Julie

just hanging out

Look for the rest of our pictures on our website in the next few days!

Happy Birthday to You!

2007-10-23T15:36:00.000-06:00

Happy 32nd Birthday to Enrique!

I just wanted to take a moment to say Happy Birthday to my great husband.

I love you,

Your wife

Starting to Feel like Home

2007-09-24T21:32:00.000-06:00

I had an interesting couple of weeks. Chrissie and I have been doing a lot of traveling in Guatemala lately. When we travel it seems that we are always running a lot of errands in the same places. Last week we took a couple of days to enjoy some time with friends who came from South Carolina. As we were walking in the lobby of our hotel, one of the hotel employees said, “Hello, Mr. Coreano.” Many of you may know I am a simple person. You can call me just about anything, but don’t call me late for a meal. Chrissie looks at me and says, “Do you know him?” And I said “He works at the front desk.” I thought to myself we come here way too often (mostly because this hotel is where teams spend their last night). Yesterday, we were walking through the local mall and I spotted a man walking towards us. I recognized him and we exchanged greetings. Chrissie looks at me and says, “Do you know him?” And I said, “Yes he is the manager of the Toyota dealership where we get the RMI trucks serviced.” Then today, I had to go and get the tire for the truck looked at and repaired. I took Marissa with me and the same man from the mall was there. He came over and greeted Marissa and myself. How interesting that Guatemala is starting to feel like my home. And why shouldn’t it as we are no longer strangers, but starting to become locals.

*Enrique

Building Relationships

2007-09-24T09:38:00.000-06:00

We just returned to Xela after spending 3 days visiting with three different sister churches in the Comitancillo area. We began preparing one of the churches for their upcoming visit from their Sister Church in November. Then, we spent time following up with the 2 other churches who had already received their sister churches this past summer. It was a great opportunity for us to get to know the hearts and minds of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Overall, we believe the meetings were a huge success as we continue to build relationships here in Guatemala. We are already looking forward to the next time we can make a visit out to each of these unique bodies of believers.

Marissa and her friends in Chipel

Changing cultures

2007-09-21T21:29:00.000-06:00

Well, we have been in Guatemala since April 2006. We have encountered many obstacles and as a result we have had to learn a new way of thinking. As we continue to change our thinking, we continue to adjust more and more to the culture here. Luckily for me, I have had the luxury of looking at many of these obstacles differently because of my Hispanic family background. This has helped me adjust much easier to life in Guatemala. All this adjustment has given us a different perspective on just about everything we use to take for granted like electricity, clean water, clean fruits & vegetables, and the list could go on and on. Really, we all have to adjust to different cultures whether you are living in a foreign country or just visiting the other side of town. Good thing that Jesus transcends all cultures!

*Enrique

A Day at the Zoo

2007-09-13T09:27:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the La Aurora Zoo

We just returned to Xela after spending a great 3 days in Guatemala City with our good friends from South Carolina. They were in town to visit their daughter as they wait for their adoption to be finalized. One day during our visit we decided to go and check out the Guatemala City Zoo. The zoo was a lot of fun and very cheap (only $2.50 per adult admission)! We had a good time just hanging out and it was the first time that Marissa really got excited to see animals.

I know this won't be our last visit to the zoo!

In With The Old Out with the New

2007-08-31T16:57:00.000-06:00

Why do we always find ourselves trying to keep up with the Jones? We always want the latest gadgets or technology. Well, sometimes older traditions and things are far better than we could imagine. Recently, I had the great privilege to take part in an ancient Mayan tradition. I got to visit a chux!

Chrissie & Marissa in the Chux

Let me tell you exactly what a chux is. It is basically a very tiny little mud hut, so tiny that you have to crawl into it. It is set up like a sauna with boards to lay down on. The way it works is that you get naked (don't worry I went in with my swimsuit on) and take in a bunch of freshly picked herbs. Once you get in, it is so dark you can't see your hands in front of your face. There is a pile of rocks with a fire burning beneath it in one corner and two buckets of water. One bucket is warm to throw on the rocks and the other is cold to use later. First, you beat your body with the herbs as you begin to sweat. Then you lay down and relax. Once you are ready to come out, you pour cold water over yourself and exit. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I felt refreshed and relaxed all at the same time.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Guatemala, make sure you find the time to check out the chux!

*Enrique

Chrissie's Bible Study Continues...

2007-08-11T16:38:00.000-06:00

So, I am sure you remember that I had started a Bible study a while back with two of my good Guatemalan friends here. Well, I figured it was time for an update, especially since one of them, Shirley, just accepted Christ!!!

Shirley's entire family is Catholic, so I was very shocked when she called me a few nights ago. I thought she was calling to get the

latest update on one of our favorite television programs, but it was an entirely different update. She said, "I accepted Christ

tonight!" I was completely shocked. She started to tell me how her boss at work is Evangelical and had been inviting her to a Bible study for awhile. Well, this night she decided to go and although she went on to tell me it was so boring that half the women were sleeping, God still worked a miracle. It happened during the prayer time at the end of the meeting. Shirley felt like God was talking directly to her and she knew she needed to make a decision to follow Christ with her life. I was so excited for her. It was perfect timing because the next week she was going to help us with Marissa while a Sister Church team was in town. She was so encouraged by the team and the women's meeting during the week. That she actually asked me if I had any Bible studies like the one they did during the Sister Church meeting. The study was a Beth Moore study and I do have 2 others in Spanish.

So, our Bible study continues, but this time with a Beth Moore study on believing God. I am so excited to see how God worked through all of this and I can't wait to see what else He has planned.

Keep praying for Shirley that she would begin to grow in her relationship with Christ. Also, pray for Paty that she would see the need to rededicate her life to Christ and begin to walk with Him once again.

*Chrissie

Missed Opportunities

2007-07-26T10:39:00.000-06:00

We found out a few nights ago that our landlord died unexpectedly. It was a huge shock for us. Although we were not close friends, he was fair, honest, and always nice to us and our daughter, Marissa. We are sad as work through his untimely passing as he was only 28 years old.

But, what is much harder to work through is the fact that we have no idea where he is spending his eternity. Is he in heaven, is he in hell? We don't know... Why, because although he sat across from us several times in our home, we never once asked him if he knew Jesus Christ. We never once asked if he went to church. And we never once started up a conversation about how Jesus had changed our lives forever.

Here we are missionaries and we missed this opportunity. Sure, we have excuses. There wasn't enough time, we wanted to build a relationship with him first, and he was too busy. We know God does not command us to change people's heart's, but he does command us to Go and Tell.

We are trying to move forward and we have asked for forgiveness, but the memory of this missed opportunity remains. We want to live a life with no regrets before God and from this point forward, that is what we are going to do.

Making Changes

2007-07-24T08:16:00.000-06:00

We are out with a sister church team this week and have been stunned by all the contrasts and changes within this small little village. The village is rustic with outhouses, adobe (dried mud/straw blocks) homes, they cook around an open fire and there are turkeys & sheep grazing nearby. It is amazing that a group of people whose culture appears unchanged for years, are so open to change. When we arrived to the village, the church had a welcome service for the team. At one point a few of the Guatemalan youth got up and shared a song or should I say rap with the team. I was amazed as I looked around the church at the congregation and saw all the men and women in all their traditional clothing clapping and laughing.

It made me start to think about us as Americans; are we open to making changes in order to reach others for Christ? Or do we prefer just to do it the way it has always been done? I think if we are truly going to reach the world for Christ, than we all have to be ready to make some big changes. I'm ready, who else is?

We have moved!!!

2007-07-17T13:08:00.000-06:00

No, we are still living happily in Guatemala in our new house, but we have updated our blog. So, check back with us soon and we will continue to update you all about our life.