Settling in...

I miss Target. And air conditioning (they were right, it is getting hotter every day). I miss dishwashers, and especially microwaves, and clothes dryers, and GPS (not to mention road signs), and health conscious grocery stores, and so many other things! The day to day stuff isn't easy here, but I can't let myself get hung up on these things. If I think about it too much, I start to complain. Then I drive around and I see the way most of the people in this country live. They have so much less than we do and yet they are happy.  What right do I have to complain about anything?

It really hit me when I was grocery shopping and I realized that food costs about the same here as it does back home. If that is the case, how do the people who make so little here afford to feed their families?  I feel guilty for being the rich American. We live simply here according to American standards, but it is still like royalty in their eyes. So, it's ironic to me that we live in a neighborhood with a castle theme to it.

There is so much responsibility that comes with this situation.  It's strange to be in a position where we have the power to actually change things. I pray that God will show us how to use it wisely.

I visited a center called Neuvo Imagen yesterday. It is a place that helps women, who formerly worked as prostitutes, to get an education and a job that will support their families. I will be teaching English there each week. I'm really excited to begin working with these women and their children.

We have also been visiting the orphanage that is in our neighborhood. It's a perfect opportunity for the kids to get involved and begin serving. They have 17 children from ages 0-6 in their care. We are going to be helping with playtime activities several times a week.  I know, undeniably, that God has called me to work with the children here.

Cory and Gavin are getting to know everyone at the vocational school. Gavin really enjoys being there with the guys and learning how to make things. Ramon, an apprentice, pictured below, is teaching Gavin about blacksmithing. They are planning some exciting new projects for the next few months.

Things are going well, but it is still quite an adjustment. I recently read an article about the stress level of missionaries. Here is an excerpt from it:

" I heard about the research of Dr. Dean Ornish from a lady who’s husband is a counselor and has worked in member care {a.k.a. free missionary counseling} for about 15 years. She told me of a study which looked at stress-levels on individuals, and here’s the essence of what they found:

When stress levels reach above a 200 {on the Holmes-Rahe scale}, doctors will advise patients to make life changes– drink a glass of wine, exercise, sleep more, that kind of thing. The goal is to keep stress levels below 200, since anything over that can result in some incredibly negative effects, especially over the long term. In fact, 50% of the people scoring a 200 were hospitalized in the two years following the scoring with heart attacks, diabetes, cancer, or other severe illnesses. Apparently, the cumulative effect of stress on the body and mind can be an extremely damaging one.

Then, they used the same standards and scale to assess missionary stress levels. They found that the average missionary’s stress levels for the first year are typically around 800-900, and the sustained stress levels of a cross cultural worker stays around 600. { You can view the article for yourself HERE.)"

Please continue to pray especially for the following:

1. A reliable vehicle for us to purchase in our price range (It isn't as easy to buy a used vehicle down here. Most of them have been repaired and rebuilt and the engines are a bit of a mess. )
2. Spanish fluency- We are being tutored 3 times a week and practicing daily, but it's quite humbling to realize how far we have to go yet. 
3. The kids as they continue to adjust. They are doing great, but it's still really tough for them. The puppy was a huge answer to prayer and it's making everything a lot more fun.