Que te vaya bien

The crater of the Volcano (there is a soccer field inside of it)
At the top of Volcan de Agua

Looking out over Antigua and Guatemala City

Hello all,

It has been a while since my last update, not because I haven’t had the time or the desire but I just haven’t had the words. There is so much to learn here and so much to grasp - it just seems impossible. Sometimes I try to wrap my mind around who God is but I am just too small. I want to be apart of his work here and in Mexico in a mighty way. I don’t want to miss out on any opportunities because of selfishness or laziness - I want to always be growing closer to Him and getting to understand Him better even though I know it is impossible to know Him fully.

There have been 4 aspects of my life that I have been praying about lately - possibly 5. One is Joy - I desire to be a woman of joy and of light. I want to represent what Christ can do in our lives, he can take away our pain and our grief and give us joy in Him. That does not mean that we will always be happy but it does mean that we can be content in Him. I desire this in my life and I desire others to see it in me and want to know Christ better because of it. The second thing is passion. I want to be passionate about the salvation of these people. I want the reality of the hell they are facing to be constant in my heart and mind. There is a verse in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 that says: “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among those who have believed.” This verse hit me the other day in a new way - these people will be shut out from the Lord. I can not possibly imagine what that will look like, but I know an existence separated from God is torture. I want to be a woman of passion that I might be a bolder witness to these people. The third thing is for selflessness. Jesus was a servant to his disciples and to all of us. In living and looking more like Him I want to be more servant hearted. The last thing is prayer - I want to be an avid prayer. I want to pray all day long without ceasing and I want to lift up these people in the power of the Holy Spirit. The fifth thing is peace - I am dealing with a lot of logistical issues with my Visa and I am not going to make it to Leon when I thought I would. I need prayer to be at peace knowing that God knows exactly when I will get there.

I appreciate your prayers and your notes of encouragement more than I can say! I am so indebted to you all. I want to give you all a short list of people to pray for here in this town of San Juan Del Obispo:

Damaris (my host mother): Pray that her heart would be open to the word, that I would take advantage of every opportunity, and that she would have peace in the comfort of God.

Luis (a host father of a friend): He is a huge leader in our Bible studies and even suggested that we go out to one of the poor areas around Antigua - that was one of the most amazing Bible Studies yet and it was all his idea. He is in danger of losing his house in this next week if he can not come up with about $9000. This is pretty much impossible for him without a miracle from the Lord. We have been having Bible study in his house every week and he is the definition of a person of peace from Luke 10.

Christopher (a host father of another friend): He is an alcoholic and his family is suffering terribly right now. My friend Corey was able to share with the wife and tell her that Christopher needs a lot of love right now. She immediately started to cry and left the room. A few days later she told Corey that he was right and that if he hadn’t said that she would all the reason in the world to hate Christopher. Please pray that Christopher would have the strength to beat this addiction and that his family would have the strength to support him through this time.

Thank you all so much for the support and love you have given me - I am so blessed by you all.

In Him,

Raquelita

Que onda?

This past week here in Guatemala has been a really rewarding week for me. This week I took a few risks for Jesus and God honored them which was amazing. On Thursday I asked the group of missionaries here if they would want to meet to pray that afternoon. All but one said no because they wanted to go to Antigua to use the Internet. That same afternoon, though, I ate lunch with my host mother and I asked her what she was planning on doing that afternoon. She needed to go into Guatemala City, which is about an hour bus ride away, to buy some new shirts and gifts for the store that is in our house. When she asked me my plans and I said I didn’t have any, she asked me to go with her. I hesitated for a moment and then said YES! We spent the entire afternoon together shopping for clothes and shoes, which if you know me at all you know is my least favorite pastime, but it was really fun. On the bus ride home, we weren’t able to sit together because there were so many people on the bus. She sat directly in front of me and I decided to pray. As I was praying I had an overwhelming feeling of God’s love for her. He knows her intimately and personally. He knows all of her struggles and pains and hardships. He knows every thought that crosses her mind and he loves her infinitely more than anyone else. I was blown away. Then I applied that love that I know God has for this woman to all of the people on the bus. He loves them all intimately and perfectly. I was so encouraged. I want to have that same love and passion for all of these people. I hope that I will get closer everyday to seeing them as Christ does - through eyes of love. That night we had a dance practice and so I spoke Spanish almost allllll day long. It was really hard and fun. Needless to say, in school the next day my Spanish was rolling a lot better than normal.

The next day, I tried again to get the missionaries here together for prayer - this time they said yes. That morning I prayed that the time of prayer would be completely of the Lord and that my plans for it and what I wanted it to be wouldn’t get in the way. When it came time for the prayer time I was in my house still talking to my host mother after eating lunch together. I ended up being 40 minutes late to the meeting because my mother and I started talking about Christ! God did have a different plan for the prayer meeting and it didn’t include me ;). My mother and I talked for about 2 hours about why I decided to come to Guatemala and about her story with God. She told me that in the past she was very angry with God because her marriage wasn’t good (Romeo was living a double life) and because her grandmother died. She started crying as she told me these things and I could see the pain in her eyes. I shared with her that God always knows our needs and that he wants to provide. I shared with her what the Bible says about the rich young man who came before Jesus. If you want to read the story it is in Matthew 19 and Luke 18. In this instance, Jesus tells his disciples “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.” I told her how I have left all of my friends and family but how God has provided family for me here through her and through her children. I told her that I won’t see my nephew for the next two years but God has provided Marco Alejandro for me to play with. God does not neglect our needs or our desires. I also shared with her what I had felt when I looked at her on the bus. That God loves her so much - she looked at me and smiled and said “why did you think that?” I told her that I was praying and I just realized how much he loves her and I told her that she is in His hands and He always sees her. She started to tear up again. This has been the most rewarding conversation I have had since I arrived here! Please keep praying for Damaris - that her heart would be open to the truth and that she wouldn’t let her preconceptions of evangelical Christians get in the way of a true acceptance of Christ. Please pray also for her marriage. Many times this week I have come home and she has looked as if she has been crying. I haven’t seen Romeo in about a week and Damaris says he is working. I want to believe that this is true but I am not convinced. Please pray for this family! This is a critical time for them. Please pray that they would want the joy of knowing Christ and that when the correct time comes to share I would have the words to speak. Please also pray for the Bible study which we are having tomorrow this week instead of Wednesday. I asked Damaris to come and she said she will but I hope she follows through - Pray that God would keep reminding her of this.

I know that this has been a long update but I hope it will spur you to pray with me for these people and specifically for this family! Thank you so much for all of your prayers they are so appreciated and they are felt! Please continue to let me know how I can be praying for you as well :)

Sincerely,

Raquelita

P.s. I am attaching some videos of our dance practices! Hopefully this will give you an idea of the fun I am having getting to be apart of this family's life! The first video is of Marco Alejandro Dancing and showing off. The 2nd is of me teaching my family the Cupid Shuffle. The 3rd is my family dancing my favorite dance for the festival - those girls can move!

Muchas Cosas

This is a town called Livingston that is only accessible by boat. They speak a different language here called Garifuna - this was one of the coolest towns I have ever visited.
Rio Dulce
One of many spider monkeys in the jungle!
Rio Dulce
Mayan Ruins called Tikal
Another Pyramid
And Another pyramid
Castillo De San Felipe
Castillo De San Felipe
My host parents who are actually the ages of my brother and sister.

Hello to all,

The past few weeks have been so busy and such a time of learning for me. My Spanish doesn't ever seem to change but I know that it must be improving - I am my harshest critic. So this is a prayer request right off the bat - please pray that my Spanish would improve but more than that pray that my attitude about my Spanish learning would improve. I am a bit of a perfectionist and each time I make an error I get down on myself. Please pray that I would be freed from the bondage of worry in this area. I am learning new words and new tenses everyday so I am confident that my language skills will get better in the future.

Also, I have been learning so much about my relationship with God. It seems crazy to me but there never quite seems to be enough time to truly go before the Lord each day. I find myself not being as bold as I know that I want to be and that I am able to be. When I went to Thailand for 10 weeks I learned so much about the power of prayer and also about the need of the body to come together in prayer. We have 11 missionaries going to school in my group and it seems like we would be really united in prayer but so far that hasn't been the case. I am hoping that in the next few weeks I will able to share with these other missionaries about the power of prayer that I have experienced in Thailand and that we would become a prayer focused group. Please pray that we would become more united and more bold in our witness in this place.

Also, I have been able to grow closer to my family here in the last few weeks which is so encouraging and also FUN! On the 26th of December they have a festival in our village where all of the families dress up and dance in the streets of San Juan. My family is joining and asked if I would dance with them ;) Of course I said SI!!!! We are all dressing as pirates and we have been having meetings once or twice a week to practice dances. One night as we were practicing I showed them the electric slide and also the Cupid Shuffle. I didn't think much of it but then they asked me to bring music for it and at the next meeting I showed them the steps and I had the entire family doing the cupid shuffle in the kitchen of their house. IT WAS AMAZING!! I can't describe to you all how fun it was but knowing that I was dancing with a Guatemalan family in their kitchen some how brought joy to my heart ;) We are now doing both dances at the festival! Also, my host mother, Damaris, told me that her niece, Alexandra called her the day after we practiced to tell her how much fun she had. I was really encouraged and also just delighted. I am now fully a part of the festivities and I hope that I am growing closer with this family. I just recently went on a 3 day trip (which I will not even attempt to describe because it was wonderful beyond words) and when I returned Marco Alejandro came up to me smiling and said "Raquel, Hola." My heart was so full of love for this little 5 year old boy as he reached up his arms for a hug. As we hugged he looked at me and said "te extrane" which means "I missed you." My heart swelled ;)

I want to thank you again for all of your prayers and letters of encouragement. I am not able to express here all of the small struggles and victories that I go through each day that I am here - but I will tell you that there are many. As I receive your emails I am encouraged each time and the Bible says "A person finds joy in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word." Proverbs 15:23. I am not able to write back to all of you when you email me but please know how much each reply touches my heart and how in moments of weakness God uses your words to comfort me. I miss you all very much and I am excited to see how God will continue to use me here and use your prayers!

In Him,

Raquelita

If you want to see more pictures I have an album up on facebook and here is the link to it:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2627613&id=4922382&ref=mf

Request

Hello all,

I just wanted to give a quick update about our Bible study this past week. We were worried because of the rain but people came anyway which was a huge blessing. I can't describe exactly what was different this week except that the Spirit was present. Please keep praying for these studies and that we would be willing to step out in faith and invite people.

I also wanted to share a few praises from this week. During class with my tutor I was able to share my testimony for the first time in Spanish. My teacher shared hers as well and she is a believer which is such a blessing! It was so rewarding to be able to get my story out and be understood - I left class with a huge smile on my face that day. Also, I have been able to have 2 conversations with my host mother, Damaris, about her beliefs and about mine. One of the main struggles I think I am going to have in sharing with her is that she doesn't believe she can understand the Bible. She believes that only a priest can interpret the Scripture for her. This is incredibly frustrating because she has beliefs that aren't Scriptural because priests have told her that the Bible says it. When I tell her the true word, she looks at me as if I am a liar because I shouldn't be able to interpret the Scriptures. I tried to tell her about the Holy Spirit but I think that went a little over her head/my spanish is not that great. Please pray that God would open up Damaris's eyes to the truth of His Word and that God will speak through my life and even my words (even though my Spanish isn't very good).

Also, please pray that we would have the courage to talk to the people here in the streets of Antigua. There are many cripples and beggars here and I know that Jesus would never pass them by. Pray that we would live like Christ.

Thank you so much for your prayers and for your encouraging words. Please let me know how I can be praying for you as well!

Rachel

Adventures!

My backyard and where the clothes dry
The sink where my host mom washes the dishes
One of the cathedrals in Antigua at night

View of Volcan de Aguas from Antigua
Marco Alejandro and me
Marco Alejandro!
Jackeline and Marco Alejandro Me in front of Antigua and Volcan de Aguas
This is Antigua
This is called Cerro de la Cruz up on a hill overlooking Antigua
The kitchen in my house where we eat all of our meals
The living room
This is the view of the volcano and the beginning of my street
This is one of the beautiful streets in San Juan...There are flowers everywhere

This is my street! The pink house on the left is mine :)

Hola Amigos!

I have just completed my second full week in Guatemala and I am excited to say that I am starting to feel at home. When I walk out of my house in the morning I always glance upwards toward Volcan de Agua to see if the volcano is clear or covered in clouds. When it is clear I marvel at how huge it is and as I walk toward my school I look out over Antigua in disbelief - none of it looks real to me. The cobblestone streets are always a challenge to maneuver as I need to watch where I am stepping while I want to look up at the mountains. I have nearly twisted my ankle several times.

I have been on several excursions already into different areas of the country - Guatemala City and to Volcan Pacaya. I can’t believe how much there is to do everyday - I am rarely bored here. As a group, we went to Volcan Pacaya yesterday which was my second trip to this volcano. When I came to Guatemala in March we hiked to the crater of the volcano (not the safest thing I have ever done). This time though we went to the lava flow. It was very red and very HOT. We were able to roast marshmallows on sticks and after a few minutes our chocolate bars were transformed into chocolate sauce. It was delicious. I didn’t take any pictures while there because I am starting to get lazy but many of my friends took pictures so hopefully I can get some pictures on here from them. This weekend we are headed to the beach :) Doesn’t this sound like an extended vacation? :) I am very excited.

This past wednesday we had our first Bible study. We met in the Plaza near the middle of the town and my friend Corey played my guitar while I sang in Spanish. My friend, Parker, the only one of us here that can actually speak Spanish, read from the Bible and he asked for prayer requests. We hope that this can be the beginnings of a house church in this pueblo (village). Some of our host families showed up and we also met some people while sitting in the plaza who I hope will keep returning.

I have been praying about my witness to this family that God has placed me with. I want to show them the love of Christ but it is difficult because I can’t share in their language. I have been able to play my guitar for them though and sing the three songs that I know in Spanish. Marco Alejandro (the 5 year old little boy) loves the song Alabare and he asks me to play it almost everyday. In the last few days I have learned to play the song Abre Mis Ojos Senor which in Ingles is Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord. As I played, the family slowly gathered and when I finished they were all standing around listening and they asked me to play it again. This is their favorite song right now and I pray that God will use these songs to speak to them in the inner most places of their hearts. I hope that even when I am finished singing that these songs will remain in their minds and keep playing over and over again and that God will use them to speak lovingly to them. Romeo (the dad) especially likes Abre Mis Ojos Senor. He is slightly difficult to talk to because he doesn’t slow down his pace for me at all but I hope as time goes on that I will get to know him better.

Please pray for:

• This family, (Romeo, Damaris, Jackeline, and Marco Alejandro) that their hearts would be opened to the truth and that God would shine through me. I want them to see that I am different from the other tourists that come through here. I hope that they will want the joy that God has stored up in me.
• The Bible studies - we will have one each week on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Please pray that we would be lead by the Spirit to the passages that He would have us share. Please pray that hearts would be opened and that we would become friends with these people that come. Also, 5 p.m. here is 7 p.m. in Georgia - If you could find time during the study to pray that would be amazing!
• My Spanish learning - earlier this week I hit a wall. I wanted to speak so badly but I lost a lot of confidence. God has been faithful though and the past few days have been better. Please pray I would learn quickly and that I wouldn’t get discouraged.
• Please pray that we would not forget why we are here. We have a message to share. Please pray that we would be bold in sharing (even in broken Spanish). This verse encourages me often in this area: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” 1 Corinthians 1: 27-29 It is not my awesome language skills that will be used to share Christ - but the weaknesses in me and the lowly things, so that I can not boast before him.
• Please pray for a man we met in Antigua whose name is Juan. Parker was able to share with him that his life can be different with Christ. Please pray that Juan would be open and that God will place people in his path to share the truth with him. Juan invited Parker to come to his house to continue their conversation - pray that they can find the house (it is in a different village) and that this man's heart would be prepared.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Please let me know how I can pray for you as well! I love your encouragement and I would love to be able to encourage you as well!

Raquel

This is a video of my friend corey playing with some chicos in the plaza before Bible study on Wednesday.

I am Here! Yo Estoy Aqui!

Hello!

I am finally here in Guatemala and I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of God. On my way to the airport Thursday morning I remember thinking "I am really at peace about this." I hadn't really cried even though I have been told that it is better to cry before I leave because it means I will cry less here (who knows if that is really true.) When I got on the airplane though I felt alone for the first time and I will admit that I did cry. I had my Bible on my lap and I was just exhausted. I finally realized that it is just me and God now - He is the only one I have in this new place I am living that I can rely on. I read this verse as we were taking off: "Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father's house. Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." Psalm 45:10-11. God reminded me that he has called me to this place. He has called me to leave my people and my family. I am here as a light for him and I hope that I will be beautiful before him.

After meeting my new family, I settled into my room. The family I am staying with includes two children: Alejandro who is 5 and Jacqueline who is 10. Alejandro is so fun to play with and he constantly hugs me and kisses me which brightens my day like you wouldn't believe! My days have been full of learning and adventure already. On Friday we went to school for the first time and I got to be blind folded and hit a pinata. It was so fun! They had the pinata tied to a string and were able to move it back and forth in the court yard. We directed each other using directions in Spanish which was good for learning but it was also just fun to yell out "Arriba Arriba!" Yesterday, I hiked with a few other students. Our guide was one of the house parents whose name is Luis. His two sons came along as well and their names are also Luis. It was really funny to say "Hey Luis" and watch them all turn around. We laughed quite a bit and we were in awe of the beauty of the country side. We looked down from the mountain and were able to see all of Antigua and the surrounding villages, including ours which is San Juan Del Obispo. Needless to say my journey has been incredible already. My house parents are very patient with me when I try to communicate with them and they are very good at correcting me when I say things wrong. I am already speaking better Spanish than on Thursday morning and tomorrow is my first real day of class.

Please pray that I would learn Spanish quickly and that I would continue to seek God daily. It is hard to have quiet time here because there is always something to do. Please pray that my time with the Father would be rich and that I would grow in Him more and more everyday. I am so grateful for all of your prayers! They have been felt! Please also lift up the family I am living with: Damaris, Romeo, Jacqueline, and Alejandro.

Muchas Gracias!

Rachel

Getting Ready

As most of you know, I am set to leave on Thursday morning. I am trying to get everything together to leave but it is pretty overwhelming trying to pack for two years. There has been a lot of time to rest over these two weeks, but the last few days have seemed so full of things to do that I haven't rested at all. As I am reaching the point of exhaustion I am also reaching the time to leave. Tears seem to be at the surface lately as I think of leaving all of my friends and family. I know that God has a plan for me and that he will take care of me, but I also know that there will be times when I am very lonely. It is difficult to experience so many emotions all at once - excitement, joy, and sadness - and also the knowledge of hard times to come.

I am so encouraged by the support I have been receiving from all of my family and friends. I have been so surprised by how many people have gone out of their way to see me and spend time with me before I leave. It has blessed me so much and has truly touched my heart. I love all of you and I am so thankful that God has put you in my life.

As I finish packing and I spend the last few days here with my family, I hope that I can recharge and be refreshed for Thursday. I am smiling even now as I write this thinking about what is ahead of me. I will soon be sleeping in the home of a Guatemalan family in a town surrounded by three volcanoes - incredible.

I am so grateful for all of your prayers and I truly am lifted up by them and I know that they will be felt when I am in Guatemala. I want to tell you again that I desire to pray for you as well. If you have any needs or requests that I can pray for please do not hesitate to email me and let me know. While I love and value your prayers so much, I want to be able to extend that same prayer back to the Father for you. I love hearing your words of encouragement and receiving your replies to my updates so please please let me hear your hearts as well.

I am getting excited and I hope that all of you are too! :))))