Get creative!

Blynn has always given me lots of kisses and always on command. But Rusty has more of an opinion about kissing and somedays won't kiss me at all. But I have discovered that he loves this trick. Touching chins. Which I can usually lean in and get a kiss. I wonder if it will be weird when I drop him off at college and I ask him to touch chins.

Pure Joy

Does this bring anyone as much joy as it brings me? I love organization, simplifying, and color-coordinated hangers. Todd says I have CDO. OCD but alphabetized as any good OCDer would like. He just shakes his head and snickers when he sees me organizing the closet and color coordinating the hangers, but he really rolled his eyes when he saw me taking a picture of it. I can't help it!

Guatemala: The Service

Part of the tooth brushing program we did at a local school.

Music programs at local schools.

Praying the sinners prayer right in the middle of a public school assembly.

The students singing along with us.

Watching out the window. I'm sure their teacher didn't appreciate that.

Puppet shows for the school assemblies.

Helping out with the church's English class. Seriously?

Handing out Gideon's New Testaments at school assembly.

Luckily, we were not asked to untangle this pile.

Cleaning up a local park area.

Clown costumes at the school assemblies.

All of our work was with the church that has the water project. We helped them with their community outreach which they use the revenue from the water project to fund. We did school assemblies, singing Christian songs and preaching the gospel. We helped clean up a park and helped with an English class that the church staffs and provides the meeting place for. This is also funded by the water project. The water project helps the church provide a lot of outreach to their community. It has been a blessing to them and the community.

Rusty's Birthday Party

Rusty's party was today and I had such a fun time planning this party. The weather was beautiful today too. Blynn was the only girl at this party and she kept reporting that the boys were being crazy. I can't believe that my baby is 2 years old.

These are the invitations I did. Can you tell that I was really inspired by this theme? I made one of these invitations and then took them to get color copied front and back. I still have a copy of the blank ones if any of you want to do this theme.

Guatemala: The Water System

The organization we went with to Guatemala, Healing Waters International, partners with local churches to help provide clean drinking water to the community and enable the local church with the resources to provide community outreach. The local church that we assisted was San Miguel Petapa, a suburb of Guatemala city. This church, as I've already said, is on fire for Jesus and serving their community in a mighty way, partly because of the monetary resources they receive through their water filtration business and mostly because of their love for God. You can read more about how this church was founded and how this pastor came to know God here.

The church in San Miguel Petapa. ADU stands for Aguas de Unidad which is Healing Waters brand name in Spanish.

The filtration equipment in the back of the church.

The pipes running through the sanctuary.

The community of San Miguel Petapa.

These little filtration businesses are monitored by the government like a bottling company, frustrating since that increases the cost to the people. The 5 gallon jugs are owned by the people so when they come to the church and pay approximately 70 cents to have it filled, the church has to clean it according to these bottling company standards. So they are cleaned with chlorine, soap, and then finally rinsed with pure water. Then they are filled and sealed with a cap. It is an amazingly fast and efficient process and I really loved how clean it was. The room that they fill these jugs up with were absolutely surgical clean. Cleaner than some US operating rooms.

Guatemala: The Team

Todd and I have always wanted to go on a missions trip together and this trip just fell into our lap. Todd's new brother (still don't really know what we are calling these new family members) just sent out a general invitation if anyone wanted to go on a trip he was leading to Guatemala with the organization he works for, and Todd and I immediately knew we wanted to go. It meant not doing some other things we had planned this year, but well worth it. Those of you who have been on missions trips before know that the team dynamic is always up in the air, and not everyone necessarily has the same interests. This team was AWESOME! And blessed me in so many ways. Not only the team that came from the U.S. but also our team members in Guatemala and the church we helped. We all got along so well even though we come from different places. So here are the people that made this trip so memorable.

(Aaron our leader and Peque)

(Chuck and Daryl)

( Our other leader, Dani and Bernie)

(Todd and I with Chuck/Carlos)

(the missionary working in Petapa: Jen)

(the ladies, oddly enough always with Chuck: Amie, Kelsey, and Susan)

(the district rep for HWI, Mario and his wife Kim and girls Lillian and Megan)

(and I saved the best for last. This is the pastor and his family of the church we worked with, Josue, Lesly, Sammy, and Peque. He is so dynamic and serving his community in such a mighty way. I appreciate so much how he is interested in serving the unchurched people and making church more appealing to those who have been turned off by it. He also has a rocking band (definitely no plexi glass in front of these drums) we loved it. He reminded me so much of my brother-in-law Gabe.)