 |
|
Guatemala Freed Family Update #8 Good Sunday Morning!! We had rain during the night and the clouds were low this morning (living at 6300 feet above sea level means when the clouds are low you are in them), but now it is sunny and looks to be a beautiful day. This week we have had three days of no rain and very sunny, comfortable weather, so clear you could see all four volcanoes (one of them smoking). While I have traveled to shorts and a tee shirt, the girls and Barb still usually have sweatshirts on in the evening. I have traveled into some of the lower lands of Guatemala and find them so hot and muggy, I am always glad to get back to the highlands. We are in the busy time of work teams, having a team every other week for about three months. The teams have gone well, and it is a pleasure to see them get involved and excited about the work we do here. Their interactions with the kids is always a high light, and I think it is more important for these children to know they are being loved and appreciated than all the work that gets done. Nevertheless, it is fun to see projects get completed and see the excitement of the home directors and the kids as they benefit from the improved living situation. This past week a team from a Lutheran church on the New Hampshire/Maine border was here. This was a return trip for several of the team members, so it was fun to see the interactions between the "old-timers" and the "newbies" on the team. They certainly got a lot of work done, and were a fun group to be with. One of the blessings of our job here is to meet so many different people. This team ended their days with a time of "bummers and blessings", in which each person reflected on one disappointing thing of the day and then following with a special event that blessed them for a day. It got me thinking. So often we want to present our lives as all blessing, when in reality it is only in contrast to the bummers that we can truly appreciate the blessings. I asked (ok--persuaded) Abby and Risa to tell me some of their "B&Bs" for you. RISA: Well let's see. I guess my bummer is not having any English speaking girls my age here. Also not having my best friends here is a bummer. My blessing I have to say are never ending but I'll just write a few. I'm blessed to have an amazing house and my own room. Also I am blessed to have Oso, our trouble making dog. Another blessing is being able to go out to my favorite orphanage 2 or 3 times a week to play with the kids. I would say I am also blessed by having the work teams come since they give me stuff to do. The last blessing I will share with you right now is having the Weaver family down the street from us because I get to enjoy the company of there family. ABBY: Bummers: not having my friends and family here, not having any English speaking girls my age, not knowing Spanish, not having anything to do all day, not being too interested in soccer. Blessings/fun things: making people smile, having my own room, going out to orphanages, going out and hanging out with the other gringos on teams, the weaver family down the street, my own email address, going to Antigua and other parts of Guatemala, living in a 3rd world/developing country for God. In upcoming letters Barb and Maredith will give their "B&Bs." Personally, I miss family and friends, work colleagues, and am finding this Spanish language to be a very major level of frustration for me. However, the other night as I was coming home from an afternoon of working at the warehouse, I was struck how much Guatemala is home. I don't want to be anywhere else. I love my work, the people I work with, being able to interact with and develop relationships with the children and personnel of the orphanages (it always thrills my heart to come into a home and have a child recognize me and come greet me), and above all, being in a place where I know clearly that God called us to be. (On a lighter note, the people at PriceSmart know me well enough now from buying 6250 lbs of sugar every month that they recognize and greet me when they see me on the street or at the mall!!) As I am sure is no surprise to many, we are exploring expanding our family here. With the whole adoption system in transition, this will entail some unexplored territory for us. We do need our residency permits, and are awaiting them. We also are asking God to make it clear which child(ren) He wants in our home, and then waiting for Him to make the way. Please keep us in prayer for our residency permits to be issued, and for us to step out in faith where God leads in regards to this. My mom's extended family is gathering this weekend -- a reunion of which we have many fond memories. It reminds me of how blessed our family is to have extended relatives and many friends. Thank you for your support and encouragement as we work here in Guatemala, seeking to serve and support those who do not have such blessings. Enjoy the summer, and we would love to host you if you wish to come visit our beautiful country. With love, Denny for Barb and the girls.
Dennis L. Freed, MSN, CRNP |
Join Email List
