Guatemala 2025/26

​It was an awesome experience to help in the school this week. The English teacher was such a sweetheart and the students adore her.  I got to help with grading of exams and taught a few lessons.  One difference I noticed was that the teachers rotate and the students stay in the same classroom. Also, their school day is from 7am-1pm. I could get used to that!!! During recess, many of the students chose to stay in and learn the song “What a Beautiful Name” in English. It was beautiful to hear them singing!

We celebrated this special girl’s birthday in Casa Hosana. She got to pick her favorite carry out for dinner so all the girls enjoyed several tacos from Taco Bell! Of all the places! I though that was hilarious!​ One of the boys in the bakery program made the “submarinos” (donuts) for dessert and they were soooooo good! Please pray for this lovely young lady. It’s been a challenging journey and we’re not really sure what the next year will bring for her. I love her to pieces and pray that God’s plan will be made clear.

​I was invited to be at the school to help in English classes again, but in true Guatemalan fashion, I showed up only to find out there were no English classes today because of exams. So, I had noticed the team room was a bit disorganized from such a busy season of back to back teams. I happen to like organizing, saw the need, and got to work. I put everything teams had left out on the tables and sorted and trashed a ton of junk. Testing all the markers.  Hopefully it’s a little more functional and accessible. After lunch, some house parents asked if Marleigh (the missionary coordinator) could cover a house while the parents were out so I got to tag along with her.  This precious little one just arrived with her sister last week. Her dimples are insane. When she smiles she lights up the room! So adorable! Taught some of the girls how to play Skipbo. They learned so fast! I lost every game 😢 The older kids were playing soccer later that afternoon so I went to watch. One of the...

I made it safely to Guatemala yesterday (after another delayed flight!). I’m happy to be safe and sound and the difficult travels are quickly becoming a distant memory…even though it was literally yesterday.  ​Casa Bernabé is such a special place. I don’t even have the words to describe it. Often times team members describe it as an oasis.  Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with a house family that I met my first year here and formed a special bond with. They opened their Casa Bernabe home and their hearts to our team and it was beautiful to see the Lord so clearly working through them to touch the lives of several boys with already many challenges and traumas in their short lives. When I met them 4 years ago Casa Bernabe was their only home. They had no other place. Over the last several years they have shared countless testimonies of how God has provided for them. I heard stories of acquiring land. Then, materials to build a foundation. A while later, ...

​Yesterday was a very long day of travel! My first flight was delayed due to a mechanical issue which caused me to miss my connecting flight to Guatemala. They had no other flights that day and wouldn’t put me on another airline. So, I flew to Miami (that flight got delayed 3 hours as well), they put me up in a hotel, and I’m back at the airport this morning. This has been exhausting and I’ve been struggling with a lot of anxiety which is causing severe bathroom issues. Please pray that those are resolved quickly!!!!  On my first flight yesterday, the wheels were just about off the ground when the pilot slammed on the brakes and we taxi’d back to the gate. Turns out there was an “open door” warning that popped up when we were about to take off. This led to waiting on mechanics to do more inspections, etc. I’m glad to be safe and trying to see the positive, but I am not a good traveler so God is really testing me! It was fun (and a little too early) waiting at the shuttle this morni...

 ¡FELIZ AÑO NUEVO! Time for PARTY PREP!  This year our menu was pulled pork, mac 'n' cheese, coleslaw, and an Oreo pudding dessert. Everything was delicious, but to be honest the dessert was almost a huge disaster.  We were supposed to be able to get it ready in about 3 hours or so.  Um, not so much.  Ingredients are a bit different in Guatemala!  First, we discovered that the pudding mix was actually flan mix, which is quite a different texture (more gelatin-like).  Next, when we read the directions it said it had to be boiled on low to medium heat until thickened.  Well, there's this other difference at Casa Bernabé called altitude.  Everything takes longer (or doesn't work) at a higher altitude.  After 2 hours of stirring we had burnt pots and pudding the consistency of chocolate milk.  To say I was freaking out would be an understatement.  In a last ditch effort to save the dessert, we stuck the pots in the freezers and hop...