Thanks, Thanks and more Thanks

These past few weeks have been full of activity.  While we do not have much "fall" weather here in Guatemala, we try and make the most of "fall" traditions with things like Harvest Fair at CAG.  Our theme this year was "Alice in Wonderland" and all the middle and high schoolers created booths and activities for the the younger students and children from the community.

 

Nathan was also a hit at Harvest Fair dressed up as Whinny the Pooh.  He even had his own fan club following him around.

Many of you have also heard about Edgar's mom, Loyda being diagnosed with cancer during the month of October.  She has multiple myeloma and has begun chemotherapy treatments.  The prognosis is not good but we know that we serve a big God who has the ability to heal.  We already have seen his provision and care for her as many many visitors have come to encourage her and lift her spirits.  He has provided meals and funds as many have taken the opportunity to serve someone who has lived a life of service to others. 

Please continue to keep Loyda and her family in your prayers.

Then it was time for Thanksgiving!  We got to enjoy two Thanksgiving meals this year.  First we went to the house of a family from our school.  We shared in a wonderful dinner with several other families and watched some good football.  Then we cooked our own turkey and had a Guatemalan/US thanksgiving with Edgar's family.  

Edgar Carving his first thanksgiving turkey!

Sitting down to eat

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Water

Living in Guatemala has given me a new appreciation for all things water.  Hot water, water pressure, clean water, running water,  . . . so much that I had taken for granted in the past.  Our latest water discomfort happened this week when our second and last electric water heater on our shower made a loud popping noise and started smoking.  Our first water heater had gone out a few months ago and we had still not gotten it repaired.  No more hot water.  After a few days of freezing showers we finally decided to try and fix the first water heater. 
Now of course the time that we picked to try and do this was around 11pm at night as we were considering having to shower the next morning in the cold water - which we would have to do before 7am because our neighborhood's water was going to be shut off at that time.  When you fix anything electric, you have to shut off the electricity.  So there we were, 11pm at night in a shower filled with candles and a small flashlight trying to take the thing apart and find the problem.
All things involving electricity tend to scare me, but thankfully my husband is a lot more brave.  Some wire cutters, a knife and a lot of electrical tape later . . . da da da dah! We had hot water!

 Picture taken with camera flash

Working by flashlight

That, my friends, is HOT water! :)

Thank you God for hot water and a wonderful husband!

Visit to the Doctor

The visit started out with me sitting on my papi's lap in the waiting room.  I didn't know where we were or what we were doing but I was enjoying the attention.  I am 2 months old today and I got to wear a new outfit because I am growing so fast!  I am learning lots of new things, like how to use my hands . . .

We had been waiting quite a long time and I was staring to wonder why . . . I was a little scared.

So I decided to eat a bit while we were waiting to help me relax . . .

When, oh when was it going to be time for number 6??  (Really I just had fun looking at the funny frog.)

Finally it was our turn.  The doctor weighed and measured me.  I weigh 13lbs 10oz and am 62cm long now.  No wonder my parents get tired carrying me around!  He looked in my nose, ears, and mouth and told me I am very healthy.  I smiled at him lots because he made funny faces at me.  He put something in my mouth that I liked alot.  Then he put something in that I didn't like so much but it still made me laugh!  Finally he put something on my leg that hurt alot!  This time I didn't laugh, I cried!  I still have something stuck there over the boo boo!

After a long day, I was very tired and decided to take a nap in my elephant chair.

(I think mommy and papi were really enjoying taking pictures of me today)

Youth Concert in San Pedro

On July 28th, Edgar and his band played at a worship concert for youth in San Pedro, Sacatapequez.  Over 300 youth from the surrounding churches came to the event.  It was a wonderful time of worship and the band felt ministered to as much as the youth who were there. 
They loved the music and the most important thing was the message that the songs shared. 

Setting up for the concert

The band!

Summer Update

Dear Friends,

We hope that you all are enjoying a wonderful summer!  Things here in Guatemala have had their ups and downs but we are continuously amazed at what we see around us.  Sometimes when you are in a place with so much need, it makes you more aware of God's provision and help and answers to prayer.  You also are left with so many questions of why things are the way they are.  Why some of us are blessed materially and why others are not.  Why some of us are met with circumstances in life that seem more difficult than we can handle.  We really do not have answers to these questions but I can say that I am amazed day by day as I live and work here.  As I teach, as I coach, as I talk to other missionaries, as I take cover in my home as natural disasters occur, as I watch people coming together to clean up and recover.

One thing that really stood out to me this year was hearing a story of a man who had lost everything he owned, which was very little, in a mud slide.  Literally his house was completely buried in mud.  As he stood on the roof, he said that he was so thankful to God because while he had lost things, they can be replaced.  Those you love on the other hand, cannot be.  Here we cannot rely on insurance or loans or the government but sometimes that is better.  That is when we learn to rely on God and each other, where our true confidence should be anyhow.

I have been working in Guatemala for six years not and sometimes I look around and wonder, what good am I really doing?  The majority of the country still lives in poverty; there are still large amounts of violence and injustice.  I work hard to educate and yet there is still failure and illiteracy.  But then I realize that it is really not up to me to change things anyhow.  I am just supposed to do my part.  To do what I have been called to do, just like the rest of us, wherever we are.  Then we leave it up to God to take what little we have done and multiply it exponentially beyond our wildest dreams.

This realization makes us understand how much we want to continue with this mission that God has given us.  Unfortunately, as we look ahead, we realize that we do not have sufficient funding to continue doing all that we are.  After much prayer, we are looking for people who are willing to commit to supporting us over the next two year period.  We are excited to see how God is going to take whatever great or little you have and use it to meet our needs here.
If you would like to talk about, see or experience more about what our mission is in Guatemala, please contact us or if you have the opportunity, come visit!  You never know what doors might be opened.  Thank you so much and God bless!

Laura, Edgar and Nathan Cojon

Middle school basketball team

CAG students

I.B. Worship team

Laura teaching

 

 CAG students

To make a donation, mail to

Commission to Every Nation

P.O. Box 291307

Kerrville, TX 78029-1307

or go to www.cten.org/giving and make a donation

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For more information go to:

cojonmissions.webnode.com

Guatemala and its people

 

  

Mandarinas, Jocotes, and .......

Meat to make tacos

 

  

Manzanillas

 

Making Tortillas

 

Granizadas! mmmmm

This is the Guatemalan version of our snow cones, just way better.

They use real fruit to flavor the ice and put sweetened condensed milk on top.

 

Just had to include this one . . . 

this is a family of 4 on a bike!

Makes you appreciate your car doesn't it?