My last day!

Hello everyone!
Tomorrow is my last day in Guatemala- I leave on Wednesday.
It was soo nice outside today- it was sunny and clear and beautiful!
On Saturday we took Luke to Guatemala City for his 5 month doctor’s visit- Can you believe he is five months old already!!! He is so intelligent and handsome and has such a sweet spirit. Today I took him on a walk before bed and he was constantly looking around at everything and he was so alert. I can’t wait for everyone at home to meet him- he is wonderful! For everyone that lives too far away (Canada, Wales, California, etc) you will just have to trust me at my word- he is amazing! : )
My sister is a wonderful mom- she always knows what he needs and she can comfort him like no one else can. It is so apparent that God knew that a little boy would be born in Guatemala and need a mommy and a daddy- He also knew that little boy was meant to be Heather and Shane’s. He is their son through and through and I am constantly amazed by the Lord’s wisdom and Love. Lucas may not know it yet, but he is the answer to so many prayers- I know that he has filled Heather and Shane’s hearts with joy and love. He has also made the world seem so much brighter for two families- and I am sure for many other people as well. I think that this is an amazing story and it is a blessing to be in the midst of something so much bigger than any of us.
Tomorrow we are doing my final shopping trip- so this is the last time you can request anything! : ) We are going to a place called NimPot- it has so many things and everything has a price on it- so that is really nice.
This will be my last post from Guatemala- so no more exotic destinations for awhile! I’m glad that I got to share this wonderful experience with you all!
Love you all-
Janie

Antigua

This is another picture of the streets of Antigua- Is it beautiful? :)

Rosa and Ruby

This is a picture of me and two of the little girls in the complex- this is Rosa and Ruby who are biological twins and who are being adopted by a really nice british couple- aren't they cute?

Heather and Lucas

This is my sister Heather and her baby boy Lucas- Isn't it wonderful to see two people so happy?

5 Things

So, I was saying to my sister that I wanted to post on my blog, but I didn’t know what to post- so she suggested that I write 5 things that are interesting about Guatemala or that surprised me. So here is goes. . .
1. Guatemala is really beautiful! I know I have talked about this before, but it really did surprise me. I hadn’t expected it to be this beautiful and breathtaking. Okay, I should say Antigua is beautiful, I don’t know about the rest of Guatemala. We don’t have many clear days as we are in the rainy season, but when it is clear you can see the volcanoes all around us. Most of the bulidings in Antigua are brightly colored and very old. There are many ruins around the town caused by one of many earthquakes they have had in the past (don’t worry, most of the volcanoes around here are inactive or are semi-active, which don’t cause quakes). All the streets are cobblestone- which makes for a very quaint feeling but a very difficult walk or Tuk-Tuk ride. There are many beautiful churches that are huge and feel awe-inspiring. It seems like everytime I am out and about I see a view or a picture in my mind that is simply gorgeous.
2. There are hardly any signs on buildings. The businesses in town may or may not have the name of the store painted on the buiding by the opening in the wall. All of the buildings seem to be connected and as you walk along you have to look into each opening to see what kind of business it is. It could be a restaurant, a bakery, a book store, an office, or something completely different! : ) I am so used to each business being clearly defined and usually separate that this took some getting used to. It is neat how you usually eat or buy bread or something in a bulding that is a few hundred years old. Many restaurants have the back-story of how the restaurant got its name. It is amazing to know that some date back to the 1600’s.
3. When we went to Guatemala City on Monday I saw a whole different side to Guatemala. The city is huge and very modern. You still see ladies dressed in traditional fashion and there is still that ‘no-flushing’ dilemna, but for the most part it reminded me of cities in the states. There were business men and women all around and we waited while the interview was going on at the Westin Hotel. It was so beautiful and refined. I guess when I was home and thinking about going to an ‘underdeveloped’ country, I didn’t expect such a modern city. It was nice because all the restaurants were open-air and it was very easy to walk to where we needed to go.
4. However, on the way back from Guatemala City I saw still another side of Guatemala. The traffic in the city was horrible so our driver, Cesar, took a different route home. This route took us through small villages and into the country. This is where you saw the ‘houses’ (I put quotes around houses because they were like no houses I had ever seen) that are made out of tin, with no roof and no door. The streets were horrible and the poverty in those areas was very apparent. There were clothes lines hanging through houses and on roofs, because there were no yards or outdoor areas. This was also an agricultural area but because this part of Guatemala is so mountanous and hilly, they cultivated on the side of mountains. I can’t imagine how difficult that would be.
5. Another thing that surprised me about Guatemala is the climate. I expected it to be very, very hot here- we are closer to the equator right? It makes sense to me! So I packed only one jacket and I brought all short sleeved shirts. But I get down here and the warmest it has ever gotten is the low 80s. But many times it is in the 60s! I am just guessing about the temperature- because I have yet to see a temperature gage- or a clock outside of our apartment! My sister and I finally realized the other day that it is because we are at such high elevation- and surrounded by hills, mountains, and volcanoes- it kind of insulates us. Plus we are in the rain season- their winter. Many people wear sweaters and people tell us that Lucas is cold when he is wearing a long sleeve shirt, jeans and a sweatshirt jacket! It usually rains from about 7pm to sometime in the middle of the night. But there have been days where it rains the whole day. It gets really chilly at night and in the morning.

Okay so I did it- 5 things that are interesting or surprised me about Guatemala. I am so glad I was given the opportunity to come. I was able to help and be with my sister and Lucas, and I was able to experience this country. It is kind of a paradox with its feel of hundreds of years ago, while still being quite modern.

I hope that all of this was interesting for you guys back home!
Love you all, janie

The streets of Antigua

This is a view down one of the streets in Antigua- Notice all the brightly colored buildings and cobblestone road! :)

Quick note

Hi everyone!
So for all of you that are reading this that don't live around Smithville or Liberty- this post won't be that interesting.
I was supposed to be going home on the 24th- but the travel agent that we use emailed me late last night to say that there are only tickets available on either the 21st or the 27th. All the other flights are completely full. So I am coming home on the 21st- which means, Anna- that I can return to work on either that Friday or the next Monday- whichever works- by the way, Anna, I don't have your email address- please email me joyful_janie@yahoo.com. thanks! Anyone else that doesn't have my email address but would like to email me is more then welcome to! :) Love you all!
janie

Spanish lessons

I've now had 12 hours of Spanish lessons (in just 3 days!). My teacher's name is Julia (hulia) :) and she is sooo nice! We have the greatest time together and dissolve in to laughter several times during each session. I feel like I've learned a lot, but my brain is having trouble keeping up. I have 14 pages of words, phrases, and basic language to study and memorize by my next session. Heather and I have to take Lucas to Guatemala City on Monday for an appointment, so my next session isn’t until Tuesday- which is good news for my brain! J Julia doesn’t know a lot of English, and my Spanish is improving, but not great. I’ve found I can understand a lot more Spanish than I can speak. My lessons go from 9am until 1pm- by 12:30 my mouth and brain both stop working! She has been treating me more and more like a niece, and often tells me to find a husband! She has also said on more than one occasion that when my big American wedding happens, that she expects an invitation!
After my lesson today Heather and I had lunch and then went to an Artisan’s Market. It was a crazy place!! Never have I been more badgered to buy something! They had pretty much anything that you could imagine- and most of it (but certainly not all) was nice. I did get a present for one of my family members, and hope to go back another time to get other things- does anyone have a request?? Then heather and I (and of course- Lucas) went to a Jade store. Guatemala is known for its jade and there are several jade stores here. We had a great time and ended up getting a few birthday presents and a Christmas present. Again- any requests? J
I made my plane reservation today- I will be going home on June 24th. While I am excited to see all of my family and friends and to go to a Target J, I am also really sad to be leaving my sister and Lucas. As most of you know the plan was for me to be the “last leg” of the journey for them and to help bring Lucas home. But because of some delays, they will be here for at least 3-4 more weeks. Heather is expecting a few visitors- her sister-in-law, a cousin, and my best friend Karen are all planning on coming down here. I’m glad that she won’t be alone, but I still wish that I could have stayed here until the end. I will have been here for a month and 4 days by the time I go home.
But since I do have 2 more weeks, I plan on enjoying every minute while I also count down until I get to see everyone at home!
Until later-
Love you all-
janie

Hello!

Hello everyone! J It is really rainy outside today, but we are not getting good internet reception inside the apartment so I am sitting on our covered patio outside right now.
On Sunday, Heather, Lucas and I got a really neat opportunity! The family that lives next door to us consists of a little girl-who is almost 2 years old, a little boy-who is a little older than Lucas and is being adopted, and their parents- who happen to be from Rolla, MO! Anyway, the dad had to go back to Missouri for his job, so that left the Mom, Carol alone with both kids. They have been in Guatemala since late January and have been attending a church here since then. Heather and I offered to go with Carol and the kids to help out because 1. I like to help! And 2. I miss Church and I am always up for praising God (even if I can’t understand what they are saying! J) . We went to La Merced- it is a really big, really beautiful, really old Catholic Church. I have never been to Mass and it was completely in Spanish- so I truly had no idea what was going on- but I loved it! It was so neat to know that everyone around me was praying in Spanish and I was praying in English, and our Father knew every person’s heart.
Sunday night I started feeling sick again, but this time I was coughing, sneezing, and having trouble breathing. When I woke up on Monday morning, I diagnosed myself with bronchitis. I get Bronchitis all of the time, because of my asthma. So I called my mom at home and asked her to call my doctor to figure out what to take. (aren’t mom’s great?) Then my sister went to the pharmacy here and got the medicine. In Guatemala you don’t have to have a prescription or anything, you just go in and say “I want this” and they give it to you! It’s amazing! J So now I’m feeling much better and I owe a big thank you to my sister for taking such wonderful care of me!
Today we went out to lunch at a nice restaurant (even a nice restaurant usually costs 10-15 dollars for 2 people!), and then we stopped by a bigger store to do a little shopping. Heather and I decided I deserved to buy myself something because I have been sick so much. I got a really cute, hand made purse with a coin bag, and I got another little souvenir. It was so much fun! J
I’m posting pictures of La Merced and of my friend Trista at the Missouri Special Olympics track meet. Trista’s mom sent me an email and told me all about how well she did. I am so proud of her and I wish that I could have been there to cheer her on, but I am so happy to have pictures and the update! Trista and her mom, Linda go to Curves, where I work. They are two of my favorite people and I even get to hang out with Trista once a week outside of Curves!
I am planning on coming home on June 24th. My sister and Lucas won’t be able to return then because the adoption is taking longer than anyone expected. My original plan was to stay until they got to come home, but I can’t be away for much longer than a month- so everyone at home- I will see you in 2 and a half weeks!
Love you all-
janie

La merced

This is La Merced, where Heather, Lucas and I accompanied another woman and her two kids to church on Sunday.

Trista on the podium!

This is a picture of my friend Trista at the Special Olympics track meet in Missouri. She won first in the 50 meter dash and the softball toss, and she placed 4th in the long jump! Obviously she is the one doing the superstar pose! :)

Trista during the 50 meter dash

This is Trista during the 50 meter dash- that is her in the middle lane. Trista finished first in her division!!! Way to go Trista! :) I'm so proud of you!!

Hello :)

So not much is new here but I have to tell you about our thrifty, thrifty dinner! Last night Heather and I (with Lucas in tow) went to dinner at a place called Dona Tona's . The first time I saw this 'restaurant' I thought it was a family party or something. Dona Tonas is a tent and a few tables and chairs that a woman sets up in front of her house- it is a local favorite, and is quickly becoming my favorite!! :) Anyway, Heather got 2 tosdadas and I got 2 tacos- which, by the way, are nothing like taco bell's tacos! They are rice or potato or something (we haven't quite figured out what it is) wrapped up in a hand made tortilla and cooked. But the price for two people's dinner on a friday night? 13 Quetzals- which means that because the exchange rate is roughly 7.5 Quetzals for 1 US dollar- it was less than two dollars!!! I was so excited- I think that everyone should fly down here and get dinner or lunch sometime! it is so cheap! :)

A spanish tutor is coming by the house later today to talk to me about intense Spanish lessons- we discovered that not only is a private tutor cheaper than the schools, this way we know that the money is going to the teacher. (sometimes the teachers get next to nothing.)

I know I usually talk about the good things in Guatemala- but here is one thing that is soooo gross, I cannot wait to be back in the US.
Are you ready? This is seriously gross . . . . . When you use the restroom, you cannot flush the toilet paper!!! In every restroom there is a little trash bag or can. Even in the nice restaurants!!!! Apparently their sewer system can't handle it- but I find it soooo gross- don't you?
Anyway, I just had to vent for a moment--
Love you all!
janie

Dona Tona's

This is Dona Tona's- Notice that it is just a tent and a few chairs?? It is the greatest though!! :)

Just a picture of one of the streets in Antigua- the sidewalks are very narrow and there always seems to be people hanging out on them. :)

This is the complex where we are staying, our villa is the first one on the right. It is a really nice area and is surrounded by a big wall. :) We have a duplex, the family that is next door to us is adopting a little boy named Jonah, and already has a little girl that was adopted from Guatemala last year named Nina.

The view

This is the view from Cerro de la Cruz- it is a spot overlooking all of Antigua- the Volcano in the background in Volcan Agua. It was a very clear day- usually you can't see the top like that.

Our Villa would be in the bottom left of this picture.

Lucas and his Tia Janie

My cute, cute, cute nephew Lucas and I:)

Hola!

Buenas Tardes!
I have been sick for the past two days so i have not been very good about posting. Sorry! :) But I feel alot better now so Heather, Lucas and I went out to lunch at Dona Louisa's and stopped by their bakery to get bread. Oh wait, Lucas wants to write something dfjdjfj oidjfdsifh dujghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhj h g`.
Anyway, it is a nice day here in Guatemala it is probably in the lower 80's and sunny. One thing I was thinking about today as we were walking through the town was how it is kind of nice how there is no Walmart or superstore of any kind here. Usually you go to multiple stores for all of things you need to buy. The closest thing to a mall that they have here is an artisan's market. It is where people have set up booths inside a building and they are there selling different items. Usually though, the building it is housed in is a few hundred years old.
I have been feeling kind of homesick today so I would appreciate emails- :) It looks like I won't be home for at least 3 1/2 more weeks- heather and Lucas might have to stay longer, but I can't be away from work for much more than that.
Through this whole experience I keep being reminded how big and great our God is- Not only did he create a masterpiece all around us, he's blessed us by allowing us to communicate through smiles and body language- even though we might not speak the same language.
I guess that is all for now- I will try to figure out how to post some pictures.
Love, janie